DHRUVA Framework:
The Department of Posts has prepared a draft of proposed amendments to the Post Office Act, 2023 to provide the necessary legislative backing for the Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address (DHRUVA) framework.
- The amendments aim to support DHRUVA’s ecosystem reforms and enable its nationwide rollout.
- DHRUVA is proposed as a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), similar to Aadhaar and Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
- It will allow logistics companies, e-commerce firms, and gig platforms to receive a user’s digital address “label” instead of a full physical address.
- Once the user authorises this label, the platform can access both the descriptive address and the geo-coded DIGIPIN (Digital Postal Index Number).
- DIGPIN is an open-source, in-house location pin system developed by India Post, assigning a unique code to every 12 sq. metre block in the country.
- DIGIPIN uses a 10-digit alphanumeric code derived from latitude–longitude coordinates. It divides India into a grid using 16 unique characters (2 to 9, C, J, K, L, M, P, F, T), enabling a hierarchical and precise location encoding system.
- It is especially useful in rural areas where clear descriptive addresses may be unavailable, providing delivery personnel with precise geo-location as a fallback alongside the traditional PIN code.
