Issued by India

Issued on Nov 13, 2013

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to issue a Commemorative Postage Stamp on the Times of India.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC : The Times of India Group
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.41 Million (0.1 million for the proponent)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• The Times of India has been a chronicler of story of India, documenting every twist and turn of this great country’s journey from bondage to freedom for the past 175 years, mainstreaming, even in its early days, distant areas of the country, bringing alive the story of the common man.
  
• What started as the biweekly Bombay Times & Journal of Commerce is now a global institution. The paper has covered all the major events prior to independence. Once the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi burst on the national scene and transformed the complexion of our drive to freedom, the paper followed his every step. The valiant struggle of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev in 1931 found its place in the columns of this newspaper with the heroic trio’s trial being reported virtually on a daily basis. Its reporting has time and again justified its motto: “Let truth prevail“.
  
• On 15^th August, 1947, on the birth of a free India, the Times of India celebrated with the nation. The paper is a witness to many seminal experiences in our national history. Along this long journey, there have been times when this paper has experienced and mirrored pure joy – that of Cricket World Cup victories of India in 1983 and 2011, achievements in the field of science, Amartya Sen and Mother Teresa‘s Nobel wins, etc. Be it the news of India or of the important world events the paper has enriched the lives of the people of India by its candid reporting.
  
• Today, the Times of India is a modern multi-media organization that celebrates economic liberalization, free market and a robust integration with the world order. Other than becoming a global institution, it has also embraced the newest in technology and has a bold footprint in virtually every comer of the country. Its internet edition is India’s most popular news website today, and is available on mobile phones as well. The newspaper, under the flagship of India‘s largest media company, Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd, has made an immense contribution to the life and times of the Indian subcontinent over these 175 years.
  
• Department of Posts had celebrated the achievements of the paper by issuing a stamp on completion of 150 years of its existence in the year 1988. The Times of India has now completed 175 years by amalgamating the newspaper with cutting-edge digital technology.
  
• Text : Based on the material furnished by the proponent.

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Issued by Hong Kong

Issued on Mar 28, 2013

Issued for : Just like collecting stamps, pets bring great fun and make good companions for children in their development. Hongkong Post releases a set of children stamps entitled “My Pet and I“ which portrays children’s happy moments with their pets. Since the pets featured are basically in white, children can add their favourite colours to and design clothes for the pet character in the stamp, making it a unique collection.

Designs :
$1.40 – The Dog, $1.80 – The Cat, $2.40 – The Tortoise, $2.50 – The Guinea Pig, $3.00 – The Rabbit and $5.00 – The Hamster.

Designed by : Benny LAU

Type : Stamps, Mint condition

Watermark : No

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 1.40, 1.80, 2.40, 2.50, 3 & 5 Dollar

Stamp Size : 3.80 x 3.80 cms.

Perforation : 13.75 (one elliptical perforation on each vertical)

Paper : Paper with security fibres

Stamp Layout : Pane of 25 stamps

Printer : Cartor Security Printing, France

Printing Process : Lithography

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Issued by India

Issued on Oct 3, 2010

Issued for : India Post has already issued two sets of stamps on themes : One set on the Queen’s Baton Relay and a second set on the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Talkatora Stadium. After that India Post celebrated the spirit of the XIX Commonwealth Games, 2010 on the inaugural day of the Games by issuing a set of four stamps on tennis, archery, hockey and athletics.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Sankha Samantha
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamps, Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi color

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 0.4 million each

Printing Process : Wet–offset

Printers : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• The XIX Commonwealth Games, 2010 were held in Delhi between 3^rd October and 14^th October 2010. It was the largest multi-sport event in Delhi after the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. It was also for the first time that the Commonwealth Games was held in India.
  
• 85 Commonwealth Nations participated in 260 games in 17 disciplines. These events took place in the upgraded existing stadia and new stadia constructed specially for the games.
  
• The opening and closing ceremonies of the Games took place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. It showcased the spirit, talent and rich fiber of Indian culture. The mascot of the game, ‘Shera‘, combined modern and traditional India and embodies the values, majesty, power, charisma, intelligence, grace and elegance of the tiger.
  
• The official slogan of the Commonwealth Games, 2010 was “Come out and Play“. The logo tagline was an invitation to every person across all divides – Indian and Commonwealth to participate in the Games to the best of their abilities, in the true spirit of the Games.
  
• Text : Based on the material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Jun 25, 2010

Issued for : To commemorate the historic event India Post is happy to issue a set of two commemorative postage stamps to mark the baton’s entry into India as a herald to the Commonwealth Games 2010, one depicting the baton and the second, a proud Shera holding it with Delhi‘s India Gate in the background.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 2000 & 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.8 Million

Miniature Sheet : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• The Queen’s Baton Relay is one of the greatest traditions of the Commonwealth Games, in having been the curtain-raiser to every Games since Cardiff in 1958. The relay symbolises the gathering of people from across the Commonwealth at the four-yearly festival of sport and culture.
  
• Over the years, the Queen’s Baton Relay has evolved into a powerful symbol of the unity and diversity of the Commonwealth of Nations. With each Games, the tradition grows in scale and significance – including more nations, involving more participants and generating more excitement than ever before, but the Delhi 2010 Baton’s journey is planned to be the biggest yet. It is set to be the longest and most technologically advanced of the Baton Relays to date.
  
• The baton has been designed by Michael Foley, a graduate of the National Institute of Design. It is a triangular section of aluminium twisted into a helix shape and then coated with coloured soils collected from all regions of India. The coloured soils are a first for the styling of a Queen’s Baton. A jewel-encrusted box has been used to house the Queen’s message, which was laser-engraved onto a miniature 18 carat gold leaf-representative of the ancient Indian patras. The Queen’s baton is economically contoured for ease of use. It is 664 millimetres high, 34 millimetres wide at the base, and 86 millimetres wide at the top and weighs 1900 grams.
  
• The Queen’s baton has a number of technological features including :
  • The ability to capture images and sound,
  • Global positioning system (GPS) technology so the baton’s location can be tracked,
  • Embedded light emitting diodes (LEDs) which will change into the colours of a country’s flag whilst in that country,
  • A text messaging capability so that people can send messages of congratulations and encouragement to the Baton bearers throughout rely.
    
• The Queen’s Baton was launched on 29^th October 2009 at Buckingham Palace in London, with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II handing the Baton to Her Excellency the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil. Abhinav Bindra, the Olympic air rifle champion, began the Baton’s journey with a relay around the Queen Victoria Monument.
  
• The Queen’s Baton has travelled through all the Commonwealth countries and landed in India on 25^th June 2010 where it will spend 100 days touring the country.
  
• Text : Material downloaded from the Internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Oct 10, 2009

Issued for : The Department of Posts is proud to issue a commemorative postage stamp on R. K. Narayan.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Sankha Samant.
Special thanks to Shri R.K. Laxman for permitting the use of his sketches and paintings.
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Wet–offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

Name : Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami

Born on Oct 10, 1906 at Madras, British India

Died on May 13, 2001 at Chennai, India

About : 

• Rasipuram Krishnaswami Ayyar Narayanaswami shortened his name to R.K. Narayan at the behest of his close friend and admirer, Graham Greene. It was to become a name familiar to all readers of Indian works of fiction and non fiction written in English, a name that will stay in the vanguard of the trend which still continues unabated.
• R.K. Narayan is inseparable from Malgudi, the fictional small town he created with such a realistic touch that each of us finds its resonance in the villages, towns and suburbs around us. Narayan‘s writings are deceptively simple narratives with an undercurrent of gentle humour and compassion. He wove the characters and events out of the threads of his own experience of life.
• Born on 10^th October 1906 in Madras (now Chennai), Kunjappa, as he was affectionately called, was brought up by his maternal grandmother, as his father, a school headmaster, moved place frequently. While formal education came through a succession of schools, he learnt arithmetic, mythology, Sanskrit and classical Indian music from his grandmother. It was the library at the Maharajah’s Collegiate High School, Mysore, which fed his latent interest in reading and he began writing too. A Bachelor’s degree in 1926 was followed by a brief stint at teaching. But he soon quit this, deciding to stay home and write. His initial attempts received neither recognition nor reward. His first novel Swami and Friends was ridiculed and rejected by family and publishers in 1930. But Malgudi was born and it remained to define the social sphere of the country at the time, with the colonial rule on its edges.
• He married Rajam in 1933 but this happy union was short-lived, her death in 1939 leaving him bereaved, along with a little daughter, Hemalatha. He continued his writing with the publication of SWAMI AND FRIENDS (1935), THE BACHELOR OF ARTS (1937), THE DARK ROOM (1938) and eleven more novels, including THE GUIDE (1958), collections of short stories, travelogues and mythology retold. Often his books were delightfully illustrated by his equally talented brother, R.K. Laxman.
• His stories were a blend of tradition and modernity, poignantly highlighting the tragi-comic situations of the daily life of ordinary people. Simple and unpretentious in style, the reader can be deceived by his books into seeing only the surface of the story. But the social comment and psychological authenticity gently but unrelentingly reaches him as he understands the nuances of R.K. Narayan‘s Malgudi and its occupants.
• His stories were made into films and TV serials in several Indian Languages, the most famous one being ‘The Guide‘ which was made in Hindi and English.
• R.K. Narayan received several awards and accolades for his work : the Sahitya Akademi Award for ‘The Guide’ (1960), the Padma Bhushan for distinguished service to Literature (1964), the AC Benson Medal of the Royal Society of Literature (1980) of which he was an honorary member, as also a member of the American Academy & Institute of Arts & Letters. He was nominated a Member of the Rajya Sabha in 1989. The Universities of Mysore, Delhi and Leeds conferred honorary doctorates on him. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2000. R.K. Narayan died on 13^th May 2001.
• Text : Based on material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Oct 18, 2008

Issued for : India Post is proud to release a commemorative postage stamp on Mascot of Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500p (stamp), 1500p (Miniature Sheet)

Stamps Printed : 3.0 Million

Miniature sheet : 0.5 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

About : 

• The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. Held every four years, it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organisation that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games.
• The Firsts such event, then known as the British Empire Games, was held in 1930 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The name changed to British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, to British Commonwealth Games in 1970 and assumed the current name of the Commonwealth Games in 1974.
• As well as many Olympic sports, the Games also include some sports that are played mainly in Commonwealth countries, such as lawn bowls, rugby sevens and netball.
• There are currently 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and 71 teams participate in the Games. The four constituent countries of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – send separate teams to the Commonwealth Games (unlike at the Olympic Games, where the United Kingdom sends a single team), and individual teams are also sent from the British Crown dependencies – Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man – and many of the British overseas territories. The Australian external territory of Norfolk Island also sends its own team, as do the Cook Islands and Niue, two non-sovereign states in free association with New Zealand. Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Australia has been the highest scoring team for ten games, England for seven and Canada for one.
• At the 1930 games, women competed in Swimming and Diving only. In 1934 women competed in some Athletics events also.
• A unique concept of games for youth of 18 years of age or less in the year of the games was mooted and the first Commonwealth Youth Games was held in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2000. 596 Athletes from 15 countries competed in 8 sports. The second Commonwealth Youth Games took place in Bendigo, Australia in December 2004. The third Youth Games was held in Pune, India from 12 October 2008 in nine sports disciplines.
• Mascots for the Commonwealth Games were first introduced by the host country in 1978. They are now an integral part of the promotion and commercial success of the Commonwealth Games.
• List of Mascots
  

  Year	City	Mascot
  1978	Edmonton	Keyano, a Swan Hills Grizzly Bear. Keyano is a Cree Indian word which means unity and brotherhood.
  1982	Brisbane	Matilda, the Kangaroo
  1986	Edinburgh	Mac, a black “Scottie” dog
  1990	Auckland	Goldie the Kiwi bird
  1994	Victoria	Klee Wyck, an Orca (Killer) Whale
  1998	Kuala Lumpur	Wira, teh Orang Utan
  2002	Manchester	Kit, a Cat
  2006	Melbourne	Karak, a south-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksil graptogyen)
  2010	Delhi	Shera, the friendly tiger. Tiger is the national animal of India. Shera is the elder brother of “Jigrr” the mascot for Commonwealth Youth Games held at Pune from 12 to 18 October 2008.

• As “Jigrr” the mascot to Commonwealth Youth Games Pune, 2008, hands over the baton of the game to “Shera” his elder brother, the run up for Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 begin with flame of enthusiasm and joy. Shera welcomes you all to Delhi for Commonwealth Games 2010 with open arms and fabled Indian hospitality. We in India believe in “Atithi Devo Bhava“, our guest is like God. Let us meet in Delhi in the true spirit of the Commonwealth games.

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Issued by Argentina

Issued on May 17, 2003

Colour : Multicoloured

Type : Sheetlet, Mint Condition

Subject : Comic Strips

About : 

• a Sheetlet of 4 X 2 stamps consists of 3 different face values [denomination] in commemoration of 8 different types of popular Humor & Cartoon characters of Argentina
• 25c : Mago Fafa, by Alberto Brocooli
  
• 25c : Astronauta, by Crist (Cristobal Reinoso)
  
• 50c : Hijitus, by Manuel Garcia Ferre
• 50c : Savarese, by Domingo Mandrafina & Robin Wood
• 75c : Sonoman, by Oswal (Oswaldo Walter Viola)

• 75c : El Tipito, by Daniel Paz and Rudy (Marcelo E. Rudaeff)
• 75c : La Vaca Aurora, by Domingo Mirco Repetto
• 75c : Diogenes y el Linyera, by Tabare (Gomez Laborde), Jorge Guinzberg & Carlos Abrevaya

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Issued by India

Issued on Jan 28, 2002

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue a postage stamp to commemorate the Year of Books.

Credits :
Stamp : Based on material furnished by the sponsors.
FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Colour : Four Colour

Denomination : 400 Paise

Overall size : 2.90 x 3.91 cms.

Printing size : 2.90 x 3.91 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Imported un w/m stamp paper

Stamps Printed : 0.8 million

Number per issue sheet : 40

Printing Process : Photo Offset

Printer : Eagle Press Private Ltd.

About :

• The magic of the book has never ceased to charm humanity. Through the ages it helped man knit his hopes and aspirations. Secured within its covers, it brings to him ancient wisdom, with which he builds the edifice of the future.
• Books not only enable us to understand things in the correct perspective, but also empower us intellectually and can imbibe in us a sense of pride in our national culture. They also transform love and sorrow, and even pain, into a form of human expression that can be experienced and appreciated by others. The growth of the human resources of a country is linked to the reading habit prevalent in that society.
• For almost a decade now, books have been facing serious competition from the audio-visual media. With the advent of computers and the internet, there is a growing feeling that the book may gradually fade away. But the fact remains that it is only books and not computers that can be read anywhere, at any time and in any environment – in a running train, in a favourite quiet corner of the library and even sitting on the water tank of one’s multi-storied building. The reasons for which one reads can be as varied too. One may read for pleasure, out of sheer habit, for entertainment, to study, for researching a subject, to be able to fall asleep, and also for not wanting to sleep.
• Whatever the prophets of doom may say, there is no other medium that can create an intimate relationship such as that between a reader and a book. Let us therefore dispel the myth that the book will fade into oblivion. Books are there to stay.
• There is, however, a need to make books reach the people and thus create an awareness about them. We need to inculcate the reading habit, specially among our youth and make available to them books at affordable prices. It is to create this awareness that the Government of India has dedicated one full year to books by declaring the year 2001-02, commencing on 23^rd April 2001, as The Year of Books.
• The Year of Books seeks not only to create public awareness about the importance of reading books and find solutions to the many problems facing writers, publishers, book distributors and readers, but also to strengthen the library movement. The slogan for the Year of Books is “Books for All and All for Books“.
• Text : Based on material furnished by the sponsors.

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Issued by India

Issued on Oct 17, 2001

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue a set of stamps depicting four of the stories from the Panchatantra.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamps, Mint Condition

Colour : Four Colour

Denomination : 400 Paise each (4/Setenant)

Overall size : 3.91 x 8.7 cms. (Setenant)

Printing Size : 3.91 x 8.7 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Imported Unwatermarked stamp paper

Stamps Printed : 3 million Each

Number per issue sheet : 18 Setenant

Printing Process : Photo Offset

Printer : Madras Security Printers Ltd.

About : 

• The Panchatantra is an evergreen classic in the world of children’s literature. Widely attributed to Vishnusarman, a versatile teacher, the stories were originally written in Sanskrit probably around 500 A.D. Pancha means five and tantra means doctrines of conduct or modes of action. According to legend, a king who had three foolish sons engaged Vishnusarman to reform them and enable them to grow up into worthy adults. The teacher achieved this by weaving a wondrous world of fables which bought out the five tantras which were innate in them, namely, confidence, creation of prosperity, earnest endeavour, friendship and knowledge.
• The first stamp tells the story of the friendship between a monkey and a crocodile which turned sour when the crocodile fell prey to the evil influence of his greedy wife. The wife crocodile convinced the husband that she was ill and could be cured only by eating the heart of a monkey. Pretending to take him home for dinner, the crocodile got the monkey to travel on his back, but half way through the river he told him the truth. The monkey did not loose his presence of mind and replied that he had kept his heart safely in the tree on the river bank and he could happily give it to the crocodile if his wife needed it. The foolish crocodile turned back towards the river bank, where the monkey jumped off to safety.
• The second story is that of a vain but stupid lion whose downfall was brought by a crafty little rabbit. The big lion was mindlessly killing the animals of the jungle till one day when the rabbit informed him of the presence of another lion in the jungle. He could not tolerate a contender within his sphere of influence, and wanted to eliminate him. The rabbit took him to a well, where the lion could see his own reflection. Mistaking the reflection to be the second lion, he jumped on to it, only to fall into the water and drown.
• The third stamp illustrates how two crows who were helpless before a snake which preyed on their baby crows got rid of the menace by using their intelligence. The crows snatched a jewel necklace from the nearby village and dropped it next to the snake. The villagers had to kill the snake first to retrieve the necklace, thus making life easier for the crows.
• The fourth stamp depicts the story of a foolish tortoise whose ambition to fly was fulfilled by two geese who were his friends. The geese held a stick between their beaks and the tortoise held on to it with his teeth. However, while in flight, he forgot how precarious his position was and started to speak something. He lost hold of the stick and fell down to his death.
• The requirements and qualities of children’s literature are different from adult literature, in the same way as a child is different in his attitudes and responses from an adult. A fanciful story which entertains the child and stimulates his imagination is sure to find immediate favour with him. At the same time, good literature should also teach the child something – help him in some way to understand the norms of the society in which he lives. Panchatantra embodies all these qualities. It is therefore no surprise that it maintains its spell over the children of today as much as the pupils of Vishnusarman many centuries ago.
• Text: P.N. Ranjit Kumar

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Issued by India

Issued on Nov 14, 1998

Design : The Balika Samriddhi Yojana has been initiated by Department of Women & Child Development with the objective to empower the girl child. The design of the stamp depicts Meena, a symbolic girl child and the inscription “Empowered Girl – Empowered Society”, focusses attention on this very vital theme. The First Day Cover has a painting by a child emphasizing the role of education for children.

Credits :
Stamp : Based on material supplied by Department of Women & Child Development, Government of India.
F.D.C. : C.R.Y.
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 300 Paise

Overall size : 3.91 x 2.90 cms.

Printing size : 3.55 x 2.54 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Imported un w/m Adhesive Gravure Coated Stamp Paper in sheets 50.8 x 53.5 cms.

Stamps Printed : 0.7 million

Number per issue sheet : 35

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• The Government is implementing the National Plan of Action for the SAARC Decade of the Girl Child (1991-2000 AD) to assure equality of status for the girl child, laying down specific goals to ensure her survival, protection and development of the girl child while changing social attitudes and behavioural practices towards her.
• Text : Based on material supplied by Department of Women & Child Development, Government of India.

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