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Digital Postal Index Number (DIGIPIN) System
Context:
Recently, the Department of Post released a beta version of the DIGIPIN (Digital Postal Index Number) system, developed in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad, with the aim of gathering public feedback.
DIGIPIN: National Level Addressing Grid
- Project Overview: The Department of Posts is developing DIGIPIN, a standardised, nationwide geocoded addressing system.
- Objective: DIGIPIN aims to simplify addressing solutions, enhancing the delivery of public and private services.
- It aligns with the National Geospatial Policy 2022, which aims to strengthen India’s geospatial sector for national development and economic prosperity.
- Design: It divides India into a uniform 4-meter by 4-meter (approx.) units.
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- Each 4m x 4m unit gets a unique 10-digit alphanumeric code based on latitude and longitude coordinates.
- The code serves as an offline addressing reference, and the system is scalable and compatible with existing GIS applications.
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- Functionality: It provides a directionally logical addressing system useful for emergencies and public access, with no privacy concerns.
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- It acts as a foundational system for integrating and supporting other addressing-based applications.
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- Bounding Box Considerations:
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- Covers the entire territory of India and its maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and allows addressing for assets in the sea (e.g., oil rigs, future man-made islands).
- Mainland India is split into 8 regions, using digits 2-9 for level-1 partitions.
- Level-10 cells are approximately 3.8m x 4m, varying by latitude, providing sufficient accuracy.
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Properties of DIGIPIN
- Geographic Location: Extracts latitude and longitude from the DIGIPIN with low complexity.
- It Can address all points of interest, including densely populated areas.
- Format: Intuitive, human-readable, with directionality built into the code.
- Independence: Not affected by changes in land use, local names, or road networks.
- Stability: Permanent digital infrastructure, robust to future developments.
- Efficiency: Short and efficient representation of addresses.