Insurance limit for postal items raised from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh; rules amended

The Government has increased the insurance limit for domestic postal items from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh through an amendment to the Post Office Regulations, 2024.

In a notification, the Ministry of Communications, Department of Posts said, “This is regarding the amendment to Regulation 133 of the Post Office Regulations, concerning the enhancement of the insurance limit for domestic accountable items from ‘One Lakh’ to ‘Five Lakh’.”

The change has been notified through the Gazette dated March 25, 2026, and will come into effect from April 1, 2026.

As per the official notification, “in sub-regulation (1), for the words ‘not exceeding one lakh rupees’, the words ‘not exceeding five lakh rupees’ shall be substituted.” It further stated that, “these regulations… shall come into force on the 1st day of April, 2026.”

The amendment has been carried out under the powers conferred by Section 13 of the Post Office Act, 2023. The notification noted that the regulations are titled the Post Office (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026.

The Department of Posts has circulated the notification to all postal circles for information and implementation. The communication stated that the amendment has been issued with the approval of the competent authority.

The notification also noted that the principal regulations were earlier published in December 2024 and were last amended in March 2026.

With this amendment, the specified insurance limit under Regulation 133 stands revised accordingly in the Post Office Regulations, 2024, replacing the earlier threshold of ₹1 lakh with the enhanced limit of ₹5 lakh.

Small savings scheme interest rates April-June 2026

The interest rates for various small savings schemes, including PPF, SCSS and NSC, have remained unchanged for the eighth straight quarter.

"The rates of interest on various small savings schemes for the first quarter of FY 2026-27, starting from April 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2026, shall remain unchanged from those notified for the fourth quarter (January 1, 2026 to March 31, 2026) of FY 2025-26," the Finance Ministry notification said.