Government Proposes Amendments to the Post Office Act, 2023 to Establish the DHRUVA Digital Address Infrastructure
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Institutions: Ministry of Communications | Department of Posts (DoP)
The Department of Posts (DoP) has invited public comments on proposed amendments to the Post Office Act, 2023, aimed at providing legislative strength to the Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address (DHRUVA) initiative. DHRUVA is a national Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) designed to create an interoperable, standardized, and user-centric addressing system—enabling “Address as a Service” (AaaS) in India.
The primary objective of the amendments is to:
Define Key Concepts: Legally establish terms like Digital Address Identifiers (DAI), address information, and postcode (allowing for concepts like DIGIPIN).
Establish Governance Architecture:
Authorize a Network Administrator to manage the common system for secure interaction between all participants.
Require registration for Address Service Providers (ASPs) who generate the DAI.
Authorize Address Validation Agencies (AVAs) to confirm the accuracy of address information linked to the DAI.
Ensure Data Protection: Mandate that the generation, access, and use of address information must be done based on informed user consent and align with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA).
Create Accountability: Establish a proportionate civil penalty and adjudication framework (up to ₹1 Crore for operating without authorization) to deter contraventions like unauthorized operations or submitting false information, while providing appeal mechanisms.
Policy Relevance
These proposed legislative amendments are of fundamental governance relevance, transforming address management from a fragmented local issue into a secure national digital utility (DPI). By establishing a consent-based architecture with clear penalties and specialized regulatory oversight (Network Administrator), the framework ensures address data flows are standardized and trustworthy, directly supporting faster e-commerce logistics, welfare delivery, and financial inclusion across India.
What is the Digital Address Identifier (DAI)?→ The DAI is a unique, legislatively recognized code generated under the DHRUVA framework that is linked to a user’s corresponding address information. It is a technology-neutral concept intended to cover various types of Digital Addresses, including geo-coded formats like DIGIPIN, to standardize address representation and enhance efficiency in service delivery and governance.
What is Address as a Service?→ The concept of “Address as a Service” (AaaS) is a key feature of the proposed DHRUVA (Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address) initiative, which treats address management as a core layer of national Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). AaaS aims to transform how addresses are created, validated, and consumed by public and private entities, moving away from fragmented, inconsistent systems that rely on informal descriptions. By creating standardized, geo-coded Digital Address Identifiers (DAI) that are linked to address information, AaaS allows seamless, accurate, and consent-based sharing and validation of addresses across e-commerce, banking, emergency response, and welfare delivery services. This not only enhances address precision and reduces errors but also fosters innovation across the ecosystem by providing a reliable foundation for all service delivery
Follow the full news here: Inviting Comments on the proposed draft of the amendments to the Post Office Act, 2023