India's Postal Index Number (PIN) will shortly be replaced by Postal Address Locator (PAL). Pal consists of 8 dynamically placed digits, arranged in a logical sequence. PIN system is in vague since 1971. Which contains only six digts. For the sake of locating the area for sorting, PAL areas are divided into two groups.

1. Metro Cities
2. Other Areas

What each digit represents?

Eight digit number have been splitted into two Part I and Part II for both these divisions.

1 METROS

PART I

First Digit - represents Area Code. For this India have been devided into six categories.

• North India - 1
• West India -2
• East India - 3
• South India - 4
• Central India - 5
• North East India - 7

Second Digits - represents State within the Area

Examples

• Punjab - PAL starts with 15, 1 for North India 5 for state i.e. 5^th state in North India.
• Kerala - PAL starts with 43, 4 for South India 3 for state i.e. 3^rd state in South India.

Third and Fourth Digits - represents Metro code

PART II

First Digit - Zone within Metro City

Second Third and FourthDigits - Local Code

OTHER AREAS

PART I

First Digit - represents Area Code. Same as for Metroes

Second Digits - represents State within the Area

Examples

• Punjab - PAL starts with 15, 1 for North India 5 for state i.e. 5th state in North India.

• Kerala - PAL starts with 43, 4 for South India 3 for state i.e. 3rd state in North India.

Third and Fourth Digits - represents Districts within the State

PART II

First Digit - represents area within the Districts

• 1-5 allocated for five important cities within the Districts
• 6-9 allocated for rural areas

Second third & fourth digits - Village Code

India having 1.5 lakh Post Offices spread over a dozen Metroes and Six lakh villages.

Certain Examples of State Code

• Punjab - 15
• Goa - 23
• Andhra Pradesh - 41
• Kerala - 43
• Karnataka - 42
• Tamil Nadu - 44
• Puducherry - 45
• Lakhadweep - 46