By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, MARCH 20, 2018: THE Union Minister for Communications, Mr Manoj Sinha, today urged the Postal department to explore ways and means of generating revenue through Philately, which is the collection and study of posage stamps. It also includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloguing, displaying, storing, and maintaining the stamps or related products on thematic areas. He drew attention to similar practices being followed in other countries.

Mr Sinha was addressing the gathering at an award ceremony to felicitate students selected in the first edition of Deen Dayal SPARSH (Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude and Research in Stamps as a Hobby) Yojana 2017-18. He also presented awards to 40 students who had qualified for the Scholarship from Delhi Circle. In further outreach, 880 students selected in 22 different Circles across the country were also linked to the event through Video Conferencing facility and had an interaction with the Minister. He stated that over 20000 students had participated in such competition, and he also urged the Postal department to target atleast one lakh students in the next round of the competition.

The Minister also utilized the occasion to launch a commemorative postage stamp on the Solar System and a Special Cover and Special Cancellation on renowned scientist Mr Stephen Hawking, who only recently passed away. Given his status as a genius scientist, the Department of Posts sought to honour his legacy by releasing of a Special Cover and Special Cancellation on Stephen Hawking. Set of eight Commemorative Postage Stamps on Solar System is also being released. The set contains stamps on eight planets of the Solar System, a First Day Cover, Brochure and a First Day Cancellation.

It is worth nothing that Philately is called the king of hobbies, because Stamp collection as a hobby entails wide educational benefits. It provides information about the socio-economic political reality of the period in which the stamp is issued or the theme on which it is issued. So as to promote the hobby of Philately, the Department of Posts had launched scholarship program for school children called Deen Dayal SPARSH, wherein it was proposed to award annual scholarships to children of Standard VI to IX having good academic record and also pursuing Philately as a hobby through a competitive selection process in all postal circles. Selections under the DeenDayal SPARSH Yojana were made based on the evaluation of Project work on Philately & performance in Philately Quiz conducted by the Circles. In the DeenDayal SPARSH Yojana conducted for the year 2017-2018 almost 20,000 students across the country participated and out of these 880 students had been selected for the award of Scholarship of Rs. 6000/- per annum @ Rs. 500/- per month. 40 scholarships representing 10 students each from Standard VI, VII, VIII & IX were being given for each Postal Circle.

Moreover, the Department of Posts entered into a MoU with Central Cottage Industries Emporium (CCIC) to design and develop Philatelic Ancillary products based on the rich and varied themes of Postage Stamps. It is expected this partnership would on the one hand provide opportunities for skilled Indian artisans and master Indian Craftsmen to develop Philatelic products and on the other hand would be able to leverage vast intellectual property and rich cultural heritage of more than 150 years available through Indian Postage stamps in propagating Philately as a hobby amongst the masses.

Another MoU was inked with the World Wide Fund, India (WWF) regarding development of Philately products based on the theme of conservation and preservation of our natural heritage. The partnership would help in promoting the causes of Environment protection, Wildlife conservation and the fight against Global Climate Change through the exciting world of Philately and Philatelic products.