Government Notifies New Email Policy

On 30th October 2024, the Union government introduced the 2024 Email Policy to standardize email domains for various government departments, with mandatory NICeMail usage and designated addresses for specific roles.

Key Points

Customized Email Addresses for Specific Roles: The policy mandates email addresses linked to an employee's specific government service. For example, IPS officers will have addresses ending with @ips.gov.in, replacing the previous generic @gov.in format.
Provision for Job-Derived and Personal Addresses: Generic job-specific email addresses are available for those in particular roles, alongside name-based email IDs that remain constant throughout an official’s tenure.
Transition to Zoho for Email Management: NICeMail, traditionally managed by the NIC under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, has moved thousands of email inboxes to Zoho, which now handles up to 50 lakh government email accounts.
Email Services for Private Players: The policy allows NIC to lease its email services to private entities for a fee, while government entities continue using NICeMail free of charge.
Designation for External Consultants: Consultants and non-permanent contractors working with the government must use emails with "-contractor" in the domain, such as "name@meity-external.gov.in", distinguishing them from full-time government staff.