'Among the many things, good and bad, that the modern world has produced, surely the postal system, which covers the world, is one of its most beneficient activities.' -Jawahar Lal Nehru India, during the past hundred and twenty-five years, has built up an impressive postal system. INDIA-80, the first international philatelic exposition to be held in Asia under the aegis of the Federation Internationale de Philatelie, is the Federation Internationale de Philatelie, is the culmination of the celebrations connected with epoch-making events in the history of Indian Post Office. The Year 1979 saw the completion of hundred years of postcard service and fifty years of scheduled carriage of domestic mail by air. 1979 also marked the 125th anniversary of the issue of first Indian postage stamp. A series of special stamps to commemorate these events have been issued and the current set of stamps completes the series. ARMY POST OFFICE (30 paise) The Army in India, initially, ran its own postal agency which linked up with the civil postal network. The earliest known Army postal agency was that of a brigade known as the 'Meywar Field Force' which functioned from 1818 to about 1840.

The first regular Army Post Office came into existence in 1856, when a Field Post Office was sent to Bushire (Iran) for the exclusive use of the Persian Expedition of 1856. From then on, Army Post Offices have seen field service in Europe, Africa and Asia in numerous campaigns including the two World Wars. They have served the armed forces in their peace-keeping missions to Korean peninsula, Indo-China, Gaza and Congo. In recognition of the excellent work done by them, the Indian Government have formed them into a distinctive and separate Corps of Indian Army. Though organizationally a part of the Army, they function as regular post offices of the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department for all postal purposes.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India