The history of National Savings Organization dates back to the year 1873 when the Government Savings Bank Act, 1873 was promulgated. During the First World War, the British Government introduced several Schemes for collection of funds to meet the expenditure. It was in this context that the Post Office Cash Certificates and, during the Second World War, Post Office Defense Savings Certificates were floated. The need to setup a separate agency was felt and a National Savings Bureau was established in 1943- 44 as an attached department of the Ministry of Finance of the undivided Government of India. The department was headed by National Savings Commissioner with the status of a Joint Secretary. At that time the main functions of the Savings Department were to initiate all policy matters and issue directives for the execution of policy decisions of the Central Government, and to review the Savings Schemes from time to time. Gradually, Savings Organization were established in almost all the Provinces of the sub-continent with the objective of popularizing the Savings Schemes among the masses as well as to supervise, guide and control the working of authorized agents under their jurisdiction. The agents, who were appointed by the local authorities. They were paid commission @ 2 1/2 on the investment secured by them. These authorized agents were in those days the only agency for securing investment in terms of Savings Certificates from the general public. In nutshell the central agency viz. National Savings Bureau, Shimla, was mainly concerned with the policy and planning matters of the Savings Schemes whereas the responsibility of execution of various Savings Schemes vested with Provincial authorities.