Section 1. Short title, extent, application and commencement

CHAPTER I PRELIMINARY 1. Short title, extent, application and commencement. —(1) This Act may be called the Indian Post Office Act, 1898. 2[(2) It extends to the whole of India 3* and it applies also to all citizens of India outside India.] (3) It shall come into force on the first day of July, 1898. 1. Amended in its application to— (1) the excluded and partially excluded areas in Assam by Assam Regulations 2 of 1941 and 1 of 1942 respectively; (2) the partially excluded areas in Bihar by Bihar Regulation 3 of 1942; (3) the partially excluded areas in C.P. and Berar by C.P. and Berar Regulation 1 of 1942; (4) the partially excluded areas in Orissa by Orissa Regulation 1 of 1942; (5) the partially excluded areas in U.P. Regulation 2 of 1942; and (6) the Darjeeling District by Bengal Regulation 7 of 1942. The Act has been extended to— (1) Goa, Daman and Diu (w.e.f. 1-9-1962): vide Notification No. S.O. 2735, dated the 1st September, 1962, see Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Pt. II, sec. 3 (ii), pp. 1991-92. (2) Dadra and Nagar Haveli (w.e.f. 1-7-1965) by Reg. 6 of 1963, s. 2 and the First Schedule. (3) Lakshadweep (w.e.f. 1-10-1967): vide Reg. 8 of 1965, s. 3 and the First Schedule. 2. Subs. by the A.O. 1950. 3. The words "except Part B States" omitted by Act 25 of 1950, s. 11 and the Fourth Schedule. 4. Subs. by Act 14 of 1914, s. 3, for "the Post Office of India". 5. Subs. by Act 25 of 1950, s. 11 and the Fourth Schedule, for "the States". 6. Subs. by the A.O. 1937, for "the G.G. in C.". 7. The words "or the Crown Representative" omitted by the A.O. 1948. 8. Ins. by Act 2 of 1903, s. 2. (d) the expression "mail ship" means a ship employed for carrying mails, pursuant to contract or continuing arrangement, by the Central Government or Her Majesty's Government or the Government of any British possession or foreign country; (e) the expression "officer of the Post Office" includes any person employed in any business of the Post office or on behalf of the Post Office; (f) the expression "postage" means the duty chargeable for the transmission by post of postal articles; (g) the expression "postage stamp" means any stamp provided by the Central Government for denoting postage or other fees or sums payable in respect of postal articles under this Act, and includes adhesive postage stamps and stamps printed, embossed, impressed or otherwise indicated on any envelope, wrapper, postcard or other article; (h) the expression "Post Office" includes every house, building, room, carriage or place used for the purposes of the Post Office, and every letter-box provided by the Post Office for the reception of postal articles; (i) the expression "postal article" includes a letter, postcard, newspaper, book, pattern or sample packet, parcel and every article or thing transmissible by post; (j) the expression "Post Master General" includes a Deputy Post Master General or other officer exercising the powers of a Post Master General; and (k) the expression "Post Office" means the department,[1] [established for the purposes of carrying the provisions of this Act into effect and] presided over by the Director General. 2* * * * * — 3. Meanings of "in course of transmission by post" and "delivery". For the purposes of this Act— (a) a postal article shall be deemed to be in course of transmission by the post from the time of its being delivered to a post office to the time of its being delivered to the addressee or of its being returned to the sender or otherwise disposed of under Chapter VII; (b) the delivery of a postal article of any description to a postman or other person authorised to receive postal articles of that description for the post shall be deemed to be a delivery to a post office; and (c) the delivery of a postal article at the house or office of the addressee, or to the addressee or his servant or agent or other person considered to be authorised to receive the article according to the usual manner of delivering postal articles to the addressee, shall be deemed to be delivery to the addressee. 1. See now the Customs Act, 1962. 2. Ins. by Act 2 of 1930, s. 40 and Schedule II. 3. Subs. by Act 25 of 1950, s. 11 and the Fourth Schedule, for "the States". 4. Subs. by Act 3 of 1912, s. 5, for "all such goods found". 5. Ins. by s. 5, ibid . 6. Subs. by the A.O. 1937, for "by the Governor General in Council". 7. Subs. by Act 3 of 1912, s. 6, for "shall be delivered to the Government or to an officer thereof mentioned in the order, to be disposed of in such manner as the Governor General in Council may direct". 8. Subs. by A.O. 1937, for "singed by a Secretary to the G. of I. or to the L.G.". Explanation . — For the purposes of this section, the expression "postage stamp" includes any postage stamp for denoting any rate or duty of postage of any part of[1] [India or of His Majesty's dominions] or foreign country[2] [and the impression of any stamping machine provided or authorised for the like purpose to by or under the authority of the Government of such[3] [part or country]]. 4[27A. Prohibition of transmission by post of certain newspapers . — No newspaper printed and published in[5] [India] without conforming to the rules laid down in the Press, and Registration of Books Act, 1867 (25 of 1867), shall be transmitted by post.