Issued by India

Issued on Oct 2, 2020

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue a Miniature Sheet and four Commemorative Postage Stamps to commemorate the 150^th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Credits :
Stamp/Miniature Sheet/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Sh. Sankha Samanta

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise (2), 1500 Paise, 2500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 500000 each

Miniature sheets printed : 110000

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Mahatma Gandhi (2^nd October, 1869 – 30^th January, 1948), popularly known as Bapu, led the movement against the British rule of India. He is considered the father of the nation and is a well-known name internationally for his doctrine of nonviolent protest (satyagraha) to achieve political and social progress. Bapu’s struggle culminated in India’s Independence on 15^th August, 1947. Bapu strived to lead the country to not just political independence but to a better India and a society free of caste, religious, economic and gender prejudices.
• The occasion of 150^th birth anniversary celebrations reminds the humanity of the efficacy of the message of Bapu. Bapu’s lessons are relevant in every policy of the country such as Swachh Bharat, rights of women and children and of civil liberties of small and disadvantaged groups, health and well-being of the Indian farmer and the Indian villages.
• Government of India decided to commemorate the 150^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation, at national and international level to propagate his message. A National Committee (NC) headed by Hon’ble President of India was constituted for this purpose. This Committee includes Hon’ble Vice-President, Hon’ble Prime Minister, Chief Ministers of all states of the country, representatives from across the political spectrum, Gandhians, thinkers, and eminent persons from all walks of life. An Executive Committee (EC) headed by Hon’ble Prime Minister with 19 members has also been constituted. Mandate of Executive Committee is to consider policies and lay down guidelines for the commemoration and chalk out the plan, programmes and activities under the commemoration.
• Bapu’s contribution to the system of nature cure in India is immense. He was a fervent practitioner of naturopathy all through his life. In 1932, Dr. Dinshaw Mehta met Bapu in Bombay (as it was then known) upon the latter’s invitation. This meeting led to a lifelong association and Dr. Mehta remained Bapu’s personal nature cure physician for life. Bapu founded the All India Nature Cure Foundation Trust in 1945. He believed that nature cure means a change for the better in one’s outlook on life itself and regulation of one’s life in accordance with the laws of health.
• A healthy lifestyle envisaged by Bapu comprises harmony amongst three dimensions – the intra-personal, the inter-personal and the environmental/cosmic. “The Earth has enough resources for our need but not for our greed.” Bapu’s concern for maintaining ecological balance and environment is perhaps best captured in the preceding quote. His concern about the environment and ecological impact of urbanization was evident in his speeches and writings.
• The idea of Atma-nirbharta or self-reliance has its origins in Bapu’s concept of a self-reliant India, the foundation of his Swadeshi philosophy. Bapu emphasized the idea of self-sufficient village economy. He opined that all goods and services necessary for residents of a village should be available within the village. Bapu stressed on nurturing rural industries including handlooms and handicrafts.
• Bapu was convinced that education can play an effective role in developing a wholesome human personality capable of resisting war, violence, injustice and oppression and building a social order wherein man can live in peace and harmony with others. He concentrated on an education that could draw out the best in the child – body, mind and spirit – for developing a peace loving human personality. Bapu believed that education is closely associated with the socio-economic development of the society. He advocated a scheme for basic education in which vocational training or work experience is of utmost importance.

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Issued by India

Issued on Jun 5, 2018

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue a set of four Commemorative Postage Stamps on the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution” on the occasion of World Environment Day.

Credits :
Stamps/Miniature Sheet/First Day Cover/Brochure : Shri Suresh Kumar
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Alka Sharma

Type : Stamps, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise (4)

Stamps Printed (4 Types) : 6.0 Lakh each

Miniature Sheet Printed : 1.1 Lakh

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• World Environment Day, which is celebrated every year on 5^th June, is the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Over the years it has grown to be a broad, global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated by stakeholders in over 150 countries each year. The day has become a vital forum for promoting progress on the environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The observance of World Environment Day began in 1974. The activities began rotating through different host countries and cities in 1987, Kenya being the first country to host in 1987. India hosted World Environment Day in the year 2011 when the theme was “Forest: Nature at Your Service”. India is the global host for celebrating World Environment Day, 2018 as offered by UN Environment and the theme for World Environment Day, 2018 is “Plastic Pollution” which is one of the most challenging environmental concerns today.
• Plastic is durable, versatile and cheap yet degrades slowly. Plastic pollution involves the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat and humans. Plastic pollution can unfavourably affect lands, waterways and oceans. Rapid urbanization has contributed to the problem of growing waste generation and its disposal. Plastic waste and bags, if not collected systematically, choke drainage system and create unhygienic conditions; animals ingest plastic bags with the discarded food leading to their illness and sometimes death; the plastic waste when disposed of on soil reduces recharging of ground water aquifers; and when disposed of in landfill sites causes leaching of metals and additives into the soil and ground water. Plastic fragmentation produces micro-plastics which can be taken up by microorganisms. The problem of marine debris is also related to safety of beaches which attract millions of tourists all along the coast. Because of its continued and growing adverse impact, action is essential now from multiple directions to beat plastic pollution.
• India is committed to the theme of World Environment Day 2018 i.e. ‘Plastic Pollution’. In order to tackle the issue of waste management in India, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India has notified the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016. Some of the salient features of these rules include increasing the minimum thickness of plastic carry bags from 40 to 50 microns; mandatory registration of manufacturers of plastic carry bags with State Pollution Control Boards; making waste generators including individual, bulk generators like offices, commercial establishments, industries, event organisers responsible for source segregation of the plastic waste and handing over of segregated waste; payment of user fee as per bye-laws of the local bodies; establishment of collect back system of plastic waste by the producers / brand owners as per Extended Producers Responsibility, etc.
• In addition to legislation, the movement towards sustainable lifestyle requires multiple actions and creative approaches. Firstly, awareness among citizens especially, targeting youth and children as agents of change can make a transformational impact. Secondly, there is a need for developing solutions whereby non-recyclable plastic can be reutilized as secondary raw material for development of newer products with use of efficient technologies and skilling informal sector. The non-recyclable combustible fractions can also be converted to refuse-derived-fuel (RDF) and can be used as alternative fuel in cement plants.
• Environment is our collective responsibility and we need to move together with everyone to solve environmental problems. We must realize the concern and make collective efforts to reduce our plastic footprint. At the same time, the per capita consumption of plastic needs to be curtailed and this is the right time for us to plan for the future so that the single use of plastic may be safe for human and other living organisms.
• Text : Based on the information received from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.

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Issued by India

Issued on Oct 2, 2016

Issued for : As a part of Swachh Bharat Mission, Department of Posts organised a nation-wide competition inviting entries for designing the commemorative postage stamp, miniature sheet, First Day Cover and Brochure, on the theme “Swachh Bharat”.

Design : The designs on the stamp & miniature sheet are based on three best entries submitted by Ms. Binita Biswajeeta, Ms. Sanjula S. and Ms. Arushi Aggarwal.

Credits :
Stamp / Miniature Sheet / FDC : Smt. Alka Sharma, based on selected paintings submitted by participant.
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 & 2500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 308250 each

Souvenir Sheet Printed : 0.1 million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) emanates from the vision of the Government articulated in the address of The President of India in his address to the Joint Session of Parliament on 9^th June 2014: “We must not tolerate the indignity of homes without toilets and public spaces littered with garbage. For ensuring hygiene, waste management and sanitation across the nation, a “Swachh Bharat Mission” will be launched. This will be our tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150^th birth anniversary to be celebrated in the year 2019” SBM is being implemented by the Ministry of Urban Development (M/o UD) and by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (M/o DWS) for urban and rural areas respectively.
  
• “A clean India would be the best tribute India could pay to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150 birth anniversary in 2019”, said Shri Narendra Modi as he launched the Swachh Bharat Mission at Rajpath in New Delhi. On 2^nd October 2014, Swachh Bharat Mission was launched throughout length and breadth of the country as a national movement.
  
• By inviting people to participate in the drive, the Swachhta Abhiyan has turned into a National Movement. A sense of responsibility has been evoked among the people through the Clean India Movement. With citizens now becoming active participants in cleanliness activities across the nation, the dream of a ‘Clean India‘ once seen by Mahatma Gandhi has begun to take shape.
  
• People from different sections of the society have come forward and joined this mass movement of cleanliness. Millions of people across the country have been, day after day, joining the cleanliness initiatives of the government departments, NGOs and local community centres to make India clean. Organising frequent cleanliness campaigns to spreading awareness about hygiene through plays and music is also being carried out across the nation.
  
• The ‘#MyCleanIndia‘ was also launched simultaneously as a part of the Swachh Bharat drive to highlight the cleanliness work carried out by citizens across the nation.
  
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has become a ‘Jan Andolan‘ receiving tremendous support from the people. Citizens have turned out in large numbers and pledged for a neat and cleaner India. Taking the broom to sweep the streets, cleaning up the garbage, focussing on sanitation and maintaining a hygienic environment have become a practice after the launch of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. People have started to take part and are helping spread the message of ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness‘.
  
• Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas is focussed on building individual toilets, community toilets and solid waste management. In rural areas, the emphasis is on behavioral change intervention including interpersonal communication, strengthening implementation and delivery mechanisms down to the Gram Panchayat level, and giving States flexibility to design delivery mechanisms that take into account local cultures, practices, sensibilities and demands.
  
• Text : Based on the material available on internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 3, 2015

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on the occasion of celebration of centenary year of Zoological Survey of India.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Miniature Sheet : Suresh Kumar
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 & 2500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.5 Million & 0.25 Million

Miniature Sheet : 0.1 Million (3000 p)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• India is very rich in terms of biological diversity due to its unique biogeographical location, diversified climatic conditions and enormous ecodiversity and geodiversity. According to the world biogeographic classification, India represents two of the major realms (the Palaearctic and Indo-Malayan) and three biomes (Tropical Humid Forests, Tropical Dry/Deciduous Forests and Warm Deserts/Semi-Deserts). With only about 2.4% of world’s total land surface, India is known to have over 7.50% of the species of animals that the world holds and this percentage accounts for nearly about 92,000 species so far known.
  
• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) was established on 1^st July, 1916 to promote survey, exploration and research leading to the advancement in our knowledge on various aspects of the exceptionally rich animal diversity of the Indian subcontinent. The survey has its genesis in the Museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1814-1875) and the Zoological Section of the Indian Museum (1875-1916) in Kolkata. By gradually strengthening its staff and expanding its research programmes, the Survey has met the challenge of the past and is on its way to meet the demands of the future. The scope and functions of Zoological Survey of India have been considerably expanded, particularly in the light of the Convention on Biological Diversity, ratified by the Government of India in 1994. To meet the challenges of biodiversity conservation, sustainable utilization and dissemination of knowledge on faunal diversity to all stake holders, recently, the Survey has been working at augmenting its research infrastructure.
  
• With the increasing interest in the life sciences and with the advent of country’s Five Year Plans, the expansion programme of the survey was taken up. The Survey has established 16 Regional and Field Stations so far, and has developed into a major National Institution with its Headquarters at Kolkata. It functions as the guardian of the National Zoological Collections, containing over a million identified specimens from all animal groups ranging from Protozoa to Mammals. Extensive and intensive field explorations are undertaken by the survey in different parts of the country for the studies of fauna, systematic zoology, animal ecology, wildlife and zoogeography, animal behaviour, animal population and also marine fauna and the results of the explorations and research are published regularly in its own journals as well as National and International periodicals of repute. Recently efforts have been made towards an integrated approach to zoological investigations, so as to have more purpose oriented research comprising biological, cytotaxonomic, and ecological aspects.
  
• Zoological Survey of India has been monitoring services on population status of commercially important species of fauna and providing input for underutilized, culturable species both from terrestrial and aquatic systems. Zoological Survey of India also provides timely warning on declining population of species of commercial importance to ensure sustainable use of components of biological diversity.
  
• Besides regularly providing identification and advisory services to research establishments, including more than two hundred Universities in India, the Survey also provides short term trainings in the art of taxidermy to candidates sponsored by different organizations. It has continued to maintain its objectives of taxonomic research, survey and documentation of Indian fauna. It also organizes an annual training programme in collection, preservation and identification of insects and mites of economic importance.
  
• Zoological Survey of India is approaching 100 years of its service to the nation and is an important knowledge Bank for future India. It assists the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India in the conservation of fauna of the country.
  
• Text : Based on the material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Nov 14, 2015

Designs : The Department of Posts organized a nation­wide stamp design Competition on the theme “A Day in the Rains” to design the stamps to be released on the occasion of Children’s Day this year. A set of two stamps and a Miniature sheet were designed for release on this occasion. 38,200 entries were received from all over the country, by the scheduled date for sending in of these entries. The designs on the stamps and Miniature sheet are based on the Prize-winning entries submitted by Yamini K, Kimaya Gupta & Rohit Gupta. The design on the First Day Cover is based on the painting submitted by V. Hemachandran and the painting submitted by Binita Biswajeeta is used as the design on the Brochure brought out on the occasion.

Credits :
Stamp/Miniature Sheet/FDC : Sankha Samanta, based on the paintings by participants.
Cancellation Cachet : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamps, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 2500 & 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.6 Million each

Miniature Sheet : 0.2 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Children’s Day also known as Bal Diwas, is celebrated every year in India on 14^th of November and is a day to engage in fun and frolic. But it is not just that. This day is celebrated to increase the awareness of people towards the rights, care and education of children and to remind us all to renew our commitment towards the welfare of the children.
  
• India‘s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was born on November 14. Apart from being known for his skills as a statesman, Nehru was also immensely fond of children. He believed that children were the future of a Nation and they needed utmost care. Fondly referred to as Chacha Nehru by children, he emphasized the importance of giving love and affection to children, whom he saw as the bright future of India.
  
• Children constitute principle assets of a country. Children’s Development is as important as the development of material resources and the best way to develop national human resources is to take care of children. India has the largest child population in the world and the development and welfare of children is of prime importance to the country. Continuous efforts are on to ensure that the highest priority to the basic needs and rights of all children is accorded. A lot needs to be done for the health, nutrition and education of children, particularly for the girl child.
  
• The occasion is celebrated throughout India with immense fun, fervour and enthusiasm. Students are encouraged to participate in various activities, such as singing, dancing, story-telling, elocutions, painting, art and crafts, cultural events, sports events for children, and so on. It gives all the children of India the occasion to enjoy the freedom of childhood. Many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) also organize programs for the poor and deprived children. These days, a number of special programs are aired on the television and radio for kids. It is a Day to take some time out and focus our attention on Children who are the future of this nation.
  
• Text : Based on the material available on the internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Jan 30, 2015

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to release a set of 3 Commemorative Postage Stamps on ‘SWACHH BHARAT’ on the occasion of martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi on 30^th January 2015.

Design : The Department of Posts organised an All India stamp design competition on the theme Clean India. The designs for the three stamps and the miniature sheet, the First Day Cover, and the Brochure on the theme Swachh Bharat have been based on the shortlisted entries. Three best entries were also awarded prizes.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Miniature Sheet : Sankha Samanta(based on selected entries including, those by M. Vaibhav Shenoy, Ankita De, Jenwin Baby, Dr. K. S. Bharanija, J. Sreeramulu and Manandeep K. Sondh, received through All India Stamp design competition)
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 0.5 Million

Miniature Sheet : 0.2 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• India is an emerging economic powerhouse and a global leader and continues to be one of the largest economies in the world with a GDP projected to grow by 6.5 percent by the end of 2015. India has also become the fourth largest energy consumer in the world. This rapid growth and the accompanying increase in greenhouse gas emissions raise national concerns about climate change. It becomes even more important for us to take immediate remedial action because future generations will also be affected by these decisions and the extent to which these issues have been addressed. They would be required to deal with environmental risks, depletion of resources, the loss of biodiversity and radioactive wastes etc.
• Urban lifestyles have a huge impact on the environment. Our lifestyles have large carbon footprints which affect the climate adversely. Everything we do, ranging from taking a flight to just having a cup of coffee, requires energy which usually comes from combustion of fossil fuels. Thus, every action has a carbon footprint associated with it. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that carbon emissions are assessed and measures to promote a greener low carbon lifestyle are devised and followed.
• Beyond carbon concerns, other challenges including land use, transportation bottlenecks, and local air pollution are strong drivers for diversification of supply away from conventional sources of energy like coal, especially through renewable energy. While the regulatory authorities continue to play their role, programmes that are community based are required to be put in place to deal with the situation we find ourselves in. These will help the community as a whole to understand local issues and take necessary initiatives to improve the local environmental conditions and come-up with locale-specific initiatives to improve the surrounding environmental conditions.
• Sanitation is now universally recognized as a major proximate determinant for health indicators. The impacts on human health of poor sanitation and unhygienic practices is significant. Waterborne diseases and intestinal infections that are among leading causes of malnutrition, illness and death are often related to poor sanitation. The challenge that India with its large population, size & different hydro-geological regions faces in the area of sanitation, is enormous.
• On 2^nd October, 2014 the Swachh Bharat Mission, a mass movement, that sought to create a Clean India was launched. Cleanliness was very close to Mahatma Gandhi‘s heart and it was felt that a clean India was the best tribute that could be paid to Gandhiji when we celebrate his 150^th birth anniversary in 2019. While launching the Swachh Bharat Mission the Prime Minister of India urged everyone to devote at least hundred hours every year, that is two hours every week, towards cleanliness. The Mission seeks to achieve an Open Defecation Free India by 2^nd October, 2019. This involves providing access to toilets to all households and also making adequate arrangements for Solid and Liquid Waste Management. The Swachh Bharat Mission has two sub-missions – Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
• Text : Based on material received from Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation and internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Jun 5, 2010

Issued for : To enhance public awareness of the importance of conserving biodiversity, India Post issues a set of commemorative postage stamp on Biodiversity on World Environment Day.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Suresh Kumar
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 2000 & 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.8 Million each

Miniature Sheets : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Wet–offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Biodiversity refers to the myriad life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire earth, in other words all varieties of life on earth.
• Biodiversity maintains the ecological balance and continues the evolutionary processes. The very survival of humankind depends on these core ecological functions. The indirect ecosystem processes provided through biodiversity include : photosynthesis, pollination, transpiration, maintaining the balance of atmospheric gases, maintaining hydrological cycles, chemical cycling, nutrient cycling, soil creation and maintenance, climate regulation, waste management, pest control, etc. Biodiversity also has aesthetic and
  recreational values.
• India is a megadiverse country, rich in biodiversity. With just 2.4% of the world’s land area, India holds about 7-8% of the global biodiversity. The wide diversity in physical features and climatic situations have resulted in a variety of ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal and marine and deserts. Forests ecosystems in particular exhibit tremendous variability ranging from temperate alpine to tropical wet evergreen forests. There are 16 major forest types in India. India is also one of the eight primary centres of the origin of cultivated plants and is rich in agricultural biodiversity.
• This rich diversity is being lost at a greatly accelerated rate largely because of human activities. Ecosystems are being fragmented and degraded and several species are in decline, posing a threat to biodiversity. The loss in biodiversity impoverishes us all, and weakens the ability of the living systems on which we depend to resist growing threats, such as climate change. The loss of biodiversity is inextricably linked to and exacerbates many of the key challenges the world faces in the 21^st century, from provisioning of freshwater and sustainable agricultural production, to climate change, regional conflicts and migration due to shortage of resources. Maintaining biodiversity is critical for ensuring sustainable development and human welfare. 
• 2010 has been proclaimed as the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) by the United nations General Assembly and India joins the world in this salutary task of celebrating biodiversity and generating awareness of it.
• Text : Courtesy Ministry of Environment & Forests and National Biodiversity Authority.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 19, 2009

Issued for : India Post, by issuing a commemorative Postage Stamp carrying the message to save Polar Regions is contributing to the effort to sensitize people to leave the Earth a better place for future generations.

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

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 3.0 Million each

Miniature Sheets : 0.8 Million

Printing Process : Wet–offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Earth’s Polar Regions, also known as Frigid Zones, at the North Pole and South Pole, are dominated by the polar ice caps, resting respectively on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica.
• Polar weather influences climates in areas as far away as the tropics and changes will have effects across the world. Polar sea ice is currently diminishing, possibly as a result of anthropogenic Global warming. Some scientists have estimated that the Arctic basin will experience ice-free-summers by 2040 or even sooner, as the ice serves as a moderator of the planets climate, in part by deflecting heat radiation back into space. The breaking down of ice in the polar regions has resulted in an increase in temperature by 2.5 degree Celsius over the past 50 years.
• Decline in ice and snow in both the Polar regions is affecting human livelihood as well as local plant and animal life in the Arctic as well as global atmospheric circulation and sea level. Climate change affects various factors of the habitat of animals adapted to live in really extreme conditions and put population at risk.
• Several species of living things call the Polar regions their home from tiny lichens encrusting the rocky landscapes of the Arctic tundra to huge blue whales swimming through the frigid water of the southern Ocean. Some animals are only part time residents, migrating to warmer, lower latitudes during the winter months.
• Polar bears, penguins, seals, whales and walrus are just a few of the species living in these very cold regions. They are specially adapted to survive the extreme cold of the Polar regions.
• The Emperor penguins the world largest penguins could be pushed to the brink of extinction by the end of this century due to the melting of Antarctic Sea ice caused by global climate change. Similarly Polar bears in the Arctic, the largest bear species, also rely heavily on sea ice.
• “No man is an island” – said the poet. And today this stands as a scientific reality before us, proved by the interconnectivity of human life across the globe with all animal and plant species, the earth, the climate and the air around us. It is essential that the delicate balance of ecology be understood and maintained with a sense of commitment and responsibility.
• Text : Based on Material available in the internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Nov 14, 2009

Issued for : With every child he creates, God brings Hope. We see this Hope shining in every child’s eyes and glowing in its heart. India Post proudly presents this year’s Special postage stamps on Children’s Day: celebrating “The Heart of a Child”.

Design : The set of two stamps carry the tiger and the deer in their natural habitat – sending out an urgent message for prioritising the protection of endangered species. The first day cover is a Montage of paintings. One shows a child resting from labour demanded of him, far beyond his strength and age – placed between two nurturing hands which carry his dreams: the company of other children and an education that empowers him. Below that a glowing night scene depicts a young boy teaching adults to read and write and to learn computer skills.

Another painting shows children’s concern for the elderly and for the physically challenged. It highlights the fact that what senior citizens need is not charity but love and compassion that draw them into the mainstream of life. In yet another picture a child’s observant eye and heart goes out to the environment which we do not hesitate to pollute with our everyday activities.

A herd of spotted deer and an elephant with its young are featured on the brochure bringing the children’s concerns full circle. “This is my world”, each child seems to say, “I belong to it as much as it belongs to me. The life of every creature on it is intertwined with mine – To make this a better place for all of us is my dream”.

The paintings ad seriatim are by (a) Manoj, Class IV, Karnataka; (b) Divya Yadav, Class IV, Haryana; (c) Nikhil Chanadran, Class X, Kerala; (d) Pragyan Dey, Class VI, West Bengal; (e) Sooraj Kakkaraiyil, Class XI, Kerala; (f) Jishnu P. Raj, Class VIII, Kerala; (g) Deepak P. V., Class III, Kerala; and (h) Ashish R. Patil, Class III, Karnataka.

Credits :
Stamp, FDC & Brochure Design & Layout : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Information Brochure

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 0.4 Million each

Printing Process : Wet–offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

About : 

• The Children’s Day Special Postage Stamp has become a regular feature of the annual Stamp Issue Programme of India Post. It marks the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on 14^th November, honouring the special place he had in his heart for the young.
• This year India Post celebrates “The Heart of a Child” as we place before you the outburst of creativity that was triggered by the children designing stamps. Their interest in their surroundings, their concern for issues far beyond their immediate neighbourhood and the panoramic vision they seemed to share, made it virtually impossible to limit ourselves to just one painting. Therefore, this year we place a collection of children’s paintings before you.
• Text : Department of Posts.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 28, 2007

Issued for : India Post is proud to issue a commemorative postage stamp on “Water Year 2007” and contribute to the cause of effective water management.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Suresh Kumar
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi color

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Wet–offset

Printer : Security Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• “Water water everywhere but not a drop to drink”. Coleridge in his famous classic Ancient Mariner so succinctly described the paradox of water as a resource. Two thirds of earth is covered with water and one third by land. Yet, the scarcity of fresh water has posed a major challenge before the human beings in the present century. Global warming is affecting the glacial regions and cataclysmic changes leading to rising seas and inundation of low lying land masses can happen more quickly than we ever anticipated. Insufficient water storage capabilities are leading to recurrent floods and draughts world over.
• India faces a challenging water future. Water resource management system requires immediate attention and a national policy perspective to sustain the developments that India envisages. Water availability of the country as a whole has been assessed as 1869 billion cubic meters (BCM) of which only 1123 BCM can be utilized that includes 690 BCM surface water and 433 BCM ground water resources.
• India has a highly seasonal pattern of rainfall with 50% of precipitation falling in just 15 days and over 90% of river flows in just 4 months. Throughout history people have adapted to this unique flow by either living along the river banks or harvesting imaginatively in tanks and underground storages. Water management was largely community oriented. Over last 150 years India has made huge investments in managing water infrastructure and to solve the water crisis.
• India can store only 30 days of rainfall compared to 900 days in major river basins in the arid areas of developed countries. The present per capita storage capacity is only 207 cubic meters as compared to 1111 cubic meters in China. Growing population further puts pressure on per capita availability of water. It is estimated that it will be about 1341 cubic meters by 2025. The need for storage will still grow due to climatic changes that are bound to have major impact on India.
• India faces challenges in the water sector in the form of declining per capita availability of water, over exploitation of ground water resources leading to lowering of ground water table in certain pockets, deterioration in the water quality, cost and time over-runs in the completion of irrigation and multi-purpose projects and poor maintenance of the existing systems. Of-course, the most important challenge is to appropriately address the natural disasters like floods and droughts.
• In such a background it is extremely essential that our precious asset is governed by a national perspective and an effective plan to harvest, conserve and utilize water gainfully. The Union Cabinet in its meeting on 4.1.2007 accepted the proposal of the Ministry of Water Resources and declared year 2007 as Water Year. The National Common Minimum Programme has laid great emphasis on water sector. Public investment in irrigation is planned to be stepped up in a sympathetic manner. Irrigation and drinking water have been accepted as two important components of Bharat Nirman.
• Text : Based on material provided by the proponent.

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