<p style=”text-align: center;”><span style=”font-size:16px;”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:#282828″><span style=”letter-spacing:-.25pt”>SOURCE- THE HINDU</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><span style=”font-size:16px;”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:#282828″><span style=”letter-spacing:-.25pt”>PAPER – 3</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:16px;”><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:#282828″><span style=”letter-spacing:-.25pt”>CONTEXT</span></span></span></b></span><span style=”font-size:16.0pt”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:#282828″><span style=”letter-spacing:-.25pt”> – </span></span></span></span><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″>The Department of Posts has launched a scheme called Five Star Villages, to ensure universal coverage of flagship postal schemes in rural areas of the country.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style=”font-size:16px;”><strong><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″>ABOUT-</span></span></span></span></span></span></strong></span></p>
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<li><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″> The scheme seeks to bridge the gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services, especially in interior villages.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″> All postal products and services will be made available and marketed and publicized at village level, under the Five Star Villages scheme. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″>Branch offices will function as one-stop shop to cater all post office – related needs of villagers. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″>The schemes covered under the Five Star scheme include:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<li><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″>Savings Bank accounts, Recurrent Deposit Accounts, NSC / KVP certificates,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″> Sukanya Samridhi Accounts/ PPF Accounts, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″> Funded Post Office Savings Account linked India Post Payments Bank Accounts, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″>Postal Life Insurance Policy/Rural Postal Life Insurance Policy and </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″>Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana Account / Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana Account.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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</ul>
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</ul>
<ul>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″>The scheme is being launched on pilot basis in Maharashtra; based on the experience here, it will be implemented nation-wide. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”background:whitesmoke”><span style=”line-height:18.0pt”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:9.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"”><span style=”color:#333333″>“Postman and Postal Department are a vital part of the ordinary citizen's life.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
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