Issued by India

Issued on May 16, 2025

Issued for : The Department of Posts is proud to release a commemorative stamp on 125 Years of Kodaikanal Solar Observatory. Recognising the legacy of the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory through this stamp is a fitting tribute to this key scientific institution of India, and serves as a reminder of India’s significant contributions to global science. The KSO has pioneered solar research, and its work remains vital today. By acknowledging the KSO, we highlight its role in shaping our understanding of the Sun and its impact on our planet. In conclusion, the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory is a national treasure that deserves to be celebrated for its rich history, scientific achievements, and enduring contribution to society.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Sh. Brahm Prakash

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 303550

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Nestled in the Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu, the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KSO), established on 1 April 1899, has been a leading centre for solar research in India for over a century. Operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, this longest-running astronomical observatory in the country boasts one of the world’s longest continuous daily records of the Sun. Originally an extension of the Madras Observatory (est. 1792), KSO’s focus shifted exclusively to solar observation in Kodaikanal due to its strategic high-altitude location (2,343 metres), which offered optimal atmospheric conditions.
• The KSO has been a place of groundbreaking discoveries since its inception. One of its most significant achievements was the discovery of the “Evershed effect” by John Evershed in 1909. This phenomenon, characterised by the outward motion of gases from the sunspot penumbra into the photosphere, revolutionised our understanding of solar magnetic fields. This discovery earned recognition with a centennial commemorative stamp in 2008.
• The Observatory’s contributions to solar physics are vast and varied. Researchers at the KSO have made pioneering studies of sunspots, solar flares, prominences, and the solar corona throughout its 125 years of operation. They have investigated the Sun’s magnetic field, activity cycles, and its impact on Earth’s climate. The KSO has also played a crucial role in developing advanced observational techniques and instrumentation for solar research.
• The Observatory has meticulously recorded observations of the Sun’s photosphere and chromosphere on photographic plates and films for more than a century. To facilitate the study of historical solar activity, including sunspots, plages, filaments, and flares, these valuable records have recently been digitised, which has been made accessible to both national and international solar physicists.
• Beyond solar physics, the KSO has made significant contributions to ionospheric research, and has helped us understand the complex interactions between the Sun and the Earth’s ionosphere, which has implications for radio communication and satellite operations.
• As a primary centre for solar research in India and globally, KSO has trained many generations of Indian astronomers via innumerable workshops and schools. Strongly connected to the local educational community, KSO also features a modern astronomy museum that attracts approximately 50,000 tourists annually.
• Text : Based on information provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Mar 20, 2018

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue a set of 8 Commemorative Postage Stamps depicting 8 planets of our Solar System on the theme “The Solar System”.

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

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise (8)

Stamps Printed : 5.0 lakh each in the form of sheetlets

Miniature Sheets Printed : 110000

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• The Solar System includes the Sun, Earth and the Moon, the major planets including Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, their satellites, as well as smaller bodies including comets, asteroids, and dust.
• For many thousands of years, astronomers maintained a geocentric world view and did not recognize the existence of a Solar System. Most believed that Earth was stationary at the center of the Universe and categorically different from the divine or ethereal objects that moved through the sky. In 17^th-century, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, and Isaac Newton, developed a modern understanding of physics that led to the gradual acceptance of the idea that Earth moves around the Sun and that the planets are governed by the same physical laws that govern Earth. Galileo Galilei was the first to discover physical details about the individual bodies of the Solar System. He discovered that the Moon was cratered, that the Sun was marked with sunspots, and that Jupiter had four satellites in orbit around it. Christiaan Huygens followed on from Galileo’s discoveries by discovering Saturn’s moon Titan and the shape of the rings of Saturn. Giovanni Domenico Cassini later discovered four more moons of Saturn and the Cassini division in Saturn’s rings. Edmond Halley realised in 1705 that repeated sightings of a comet were recording the same object, returning regularly once every 75-76 years. This was the first evidence that anything other than the planets orbited the Sun. Around this time (1704), the term “Solar System” first appeared in English.
• The first four planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are much nearer to the Sun than the other four planets. They are called the inner planets. The inner planets have very few moons.
• Mercury:
  • Mercury is the smallest and innermost planet in the Solar System. Its orbital period around the Sun of 88 days is the shortest of all the planets in the Solar System. Mercury is a rocky body like Earth, with an equatorial radius of 2,439.7 kilometres which is 0.3829 times the radius of the Earth. Mercury consists of approximately 70% metallic and 30% silicate material. Its density is the second highest in the Solar System at 5.427 g/cm³, only slightly less than Earth’s density of 5.515 g/cm³. Atmosphere is absent in Mercury and its surface temperature ranges from 100 K to 700 K.
• Venus:
  • Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. It has the longest rotation period (243 days) of any planet in the Solar System and rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets. Venus is sometimes called Earth’s “sister planet” because of their similar size, mass, proximity to the Sun, and bulk composition. It has the densest atmosphere of the four innermost planets, consisting of more than 96% carbon dioxide. The atmospheric pressure at the planet’s surface is 92 times that of Earth. Venus is by far the hottest planet in the Solar System, with a mean surface temperature of 735 K (462 °C), even though Mercury is closer to the Sun. The diameter of Venus is 12,103.6 km – only 638.4 km less than Earth’s – and its mass is 81.5% of Earth’s.
• Earth:
  • Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only planet on which life is known to exist. Earth formed over 4 billion years ago. Earth’s gravity interacts with other objects in space, especially the Sun and the Moon, Earth’s only natural satellite. Earth revolves around the Sun in 365.26 days, a period known as an Earth year. Earth’s mass is approximately 5.97×1024 kg. It is composed mostly of iron (32.1%), oxygen (30.1%), silicon (15.1%), magnesium (13.9%), sulfur (2.9%), nickel (1.8%), calcium (1.5%), and aluminium (1.4%), with the remaining 1.2% consisting of trace amounts of other elements. The atmosphere of Earth has a composition of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, with trace amounts of water vapour, carbon dioxide, and other gaseous molecules. The mean density and surface gravity of Earth is 5.514 g/cm³ and 9.807 m/s² respectively.
• Mars:
  • Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, orbiting it in 687 (Earth) days. It is the second-smallest planet in the Solar System after Mercury. It appears slightly reddish because the reddish iron oxide prevalent on its surface and is often referred to as the “Red Planet”. Mars is approximately half the diameter of Earth. Mars is less dense than Earth, having about 15% of Earth’s volume and 11% of Earth’s mass, resulting in about 38% of Earth’s surface gravity. Mars surface temperatures vary from lows of about -143 °C at the winter polar caps to highs of up to 35 °C in equatorial summer. The wide range in temperatures is due to the thin atmosphere which cannot store much solar heat.
  • There is a large gap in between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter which is occupied by a large number of small objects that revolve around the Sun. These are called asteroids.
  • The planets outside the orbit of Mars, namely Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are much farther off than the inner planets. They are called the outer planets. They have a ring system around them. The outer planets have large number of moons.
• Jupiter:
  • Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a giant planet composed primarily of gaseous and liquid matter. It is so large that about 1300 earths can be placed inside this giant planet. However, the mass of Jupiter is about 318 times that of our Earth. Jupiter’s upper atmosphere is about 88-92% hydrogen and 8-12% helium by percent volume of gas molecules. Its orbital period is approximately 4332.38 Earth days, or 11.86 years. Jupiter has a large number of satellites. It also has faint rings around it.
• Saturn:
  • Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius about nine times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth. Its density is less than that of water. However, Saturn is over 95 times more massive than Earth. Saturn’s interior is probably composed of a core of iron-nickel and rock (silicon and oxygen compounds). This core is surrounded by a deep layer of metallic hydrogen, an intermediate layer of liquid hydrogen and liquid helium, and finally a gaseous outer layer. Temperatures on Saturn are normally -185 °C. It takes Saturn 10,759 Earth days (or about 29½ years), to finish one revolution around the Sun. Saturn is probably best known for the system of planetary rings that makes it visually unique. Saturn also has a large number of satellites.
• Uranus:
  • Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. Uranus’s atmosphere is similar to Jupiter’s and Saturn’s in the primary composition of hydrogen and helium, but it contains more “ices” such as water, ammonia, and methane, along with traces of other hydrocarbons. It is the coldest planetary atmosphere in the Solar System, with a minimum temperature of 49 K (-224 °C). The interior of Uranus is mainly composed of ices and rock. Uranus orbits the Sun once every 84 years. The rotational period of the interior of Uranus in 17 hours, 14 minutes. Uranus’s mass is roughly 14.5 times that of Earth. Its diameter is four times that of Earth. A resulting density of 1.27 g/cm³ makes Uranus the second least dense planet, after Saturn.
• Neptune:
  • Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet by diameter, the third-most massive planet, and the densest giant planet. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth. Neptune orbits the Sun once every 164.8 years. Like Jupiter and Saturn, Neptune’s atmosphere is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, along with traces of hydrocarbons and possibly nitrogen, but it contains a higher proportion of “ices” such as water, ammonia, and methane. Neptune’s outer atmosphere is one of the coldest places in the Solar System, with temperatures at its cloud tops approaching 55 K (-218 °C). Temperatures at the planet’s centre are approximately 5,400 K (5,100 °C).
• Text : Based on the material available on internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Apr 10, 2015

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to release a set of two stamps and miniature sheet on the theme of India–France : 50 Years of Space Cooperation featuring one stamp each on the two satellites Megha-Tropiques and SARAL.

Credits :
Stamp/Miniature Sheet/FDC : Sankha Samant
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 2500 & 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.9 Million

Miniature Sheet : 0.1 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• India and France heralded a new era of bilateral cooperation with the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 1947. Since then, the extent and scope of cooperation between the two countries has grown steadily and the bilateral relations between the two countries have now expanded in many areas ranging from trade and investment, culture, science & technology and education to space cooperation.
  
• Space cooperation between India and France has now turned 50, making it India’s oldest and most important collaboration with a European nation. Exchanges at the start of the 1960s between what would later become the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the fledgling French National Space Agency (CNES) laid the foundations of a low-key but sustained relationship between the two space agencies. This partnership for and through space has often served as a bridgehead of the French-Indian strategic partnership.
  
• The first French-Indian space cooperation agreement signed in May 1964 covered licenses to build Belier and Centaure sounding rockets in India, with the accompanying transfer of solid-propulsion technologies. Under the patronage of the United Nations and overseen by a CNES team led by Jacques Blamont, 50 French rockets were built locally and launched from 1965 onwards at the Thumba equatorial launch site in the State of Kerala. ISRO is CNES’s number two partner after NASA in terms of volume of activity.
  
• Since the 1990s, CNES and ISRO have been collaborating together and the collective efforts have resulted in the launch of space missions – Megha-Tropiques in 2011 and SARAL in 2013.
  
• Megha-Tropiques is an Indo-French Joint Satellite Mission launched on October 12, 2011 for studying the water cycle and energy exchanges in the tropics. The main objective of this mission is to understand the life cycle of convective systems that influence the tropical weather and climate and their role in associated energy and moisture budget of the atmosphere in tropical regions.
  
• Megha-Tropiques will provide scientific data on the contribution of the water cycle to the tropical atmosphere, with information on condensed water in clouds, water vapour in the atmosphere, precipitation, and evaporation. With its circular orbit inclined 20 degrees to the equator, the Megha-Tropiques is a unique satellite for climate research that should also aid scientists seeking to refine prediction models. The satellite carries four payloads out of which one is jointly developed by CNES and ISRO, two by ISRO and one procured by Italy. The satellite and launch vehicle PSLV are manufactured and owned by ISRO.
  
• The Satellite with ARGOS and ALTIKA (SARAL) is a joint Indo-French satellite mission launched on 25^th February, 2013 for oceanographic studies. SARAL is designed to perform altimetric measurements designed to study ocean circulation and sea surface elevation and has three payloads – two developed by CNES and one by ISRO. The satellite and launch vehicle PSLV are manufactured and owned by ISRO.
  
• SARAL data products will be useful for operational as well as research user communities in many fields like marine meteorology and sea state forecasting, operational oceanography, seasonal forecasting, climate monitoring, ocean, earth system and climate research, continental ice studies, protection of biodiversity, management and protection of marine ecosystem, environmental monitoring, and improvement of maritime security.
  
• The CNES-ISRO partnership in space relies on mutual trust built over half a century. The two space missions of Megha-Tropiques and SARAL are stellar examples of the joint endeavour of the two countries to study and intensively observe ocean systems and climate systems and to use the available data for framing policies and programmes aimed to mitigate the vagaries of nature and to harness its positive energy towards enhancing agricultural and industrial output and to secure livelihood of millions dependant on surrounding ecosystems for their living.
  
• Text : Based on the material available on ISRO website and internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Feb 14, 2015

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to release a commemorative postage stamp on “Project Rukmani”.

Credits :
Postage Stamp/FDC/Brochure : Suresh Kumar
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.5 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Indian Navy’s tryst with a dedicated Defence communication satellite began on 30^th August 2013 with the successful launch of GSAT-7 by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from French Guiana under the project christened “Project Rukmani”. With this landmark event, Indian Navy joined the elite group of Navies that possess the capability to conduct operations using dedicated communication satellites.
  
• The evolutionary journey of Project Rukmani began on 29^th March, 2006 when the Indian Navy and ISRO entered into a cooperation with each other to realise a comprehensive indigenous Satellite Communication (SATCOM) capability that is not only secure but also covers the Primary Area of Interest in the Maritime Domain. The project was progressed on turnkey basis and progressively saw the induction of ground segment prior to launch of the satellite on August 2013. Post 2013 the launch of the GSAT-7 satellite (space segment) all eleven transponders underwent ‘In Orbit Testing (IOT)’ leading to successful migration of the naval units to the GSAT-7 domain in December 2013. The reach of GSAT-7 has had a profound impact on the tempo of naval operations which was amply visible in the theatre level exercise.
  
• Rukmani provides a multi-band SATCOM capability on UHF, S, C and Ku to surface, sub-surface and air assets of Indian Navy in various combinations. With this capability, near real time communication is feasible over voice, video and data applications. GSAT-7, a specially configured satellite, has the maritime footprint spanning almost entire Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to effectively meet the strategic communication needs. Adequate geo-redundancies have been dovetailed in the operational ethos, wherein the operations are controlled and optimised through hubs in one plus one geo-redundant hot stand by regime.
  
• Whilst Project Rukmani has heralded Indian Navy into a new era of indigenous SATCOM communications, the prognosis is that in times to come, and as the full capability is realised, the impact will be that of a true force multiplier. Custom-made for the Navy by the ISRO, the advanced multi-band GSAT-7 is the most advanced communication satellite capable of providing a wide range of service spectrum from low bit rate voice to high bit rate data communication. Designed to modernise communications among naval ships as well as intelligence survey, Rukmani will also help the Navy keep a vigilant eye over both Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.
  
• Text : Based on material received from Indian Navy and internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 2, 2008

Issued for : India Post is proud to issue commemorative postage stamp on centenary of the discovery of Evershed Effect.

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

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Wet–offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Solar eclipse of 1868 and 1871 played a fundamentally significant role in the development of astrophysics in India. The idea to establish a modern observatory at a hill station took roots. Physics Observatory at Kodaikanal, was the outcome of such an idea and was founded in 1899, which started functioning in 1899. John Evershed, one of the foremost solar astronomers of his time, spent his most fruitful research years at the Solar Physics Observatory in Kodaikanal, first as its Assistant Director (1907-1911) and then as the Director (1911-1923). He had distinguished himself as a prolific amateur solar observer, working in his own private observatory in Kenley, England, recording no less than 13,458 prominences between the years 1890 and 1905, and noting the changes in heliographic latitude during a solar cycle. The Kodaikanal appointment was his first as a professional astronomer. When John Evershed arrived in 1906, Kodaikanal already had some good solar instruments including a Cambridge Spectroheliograph. With his expertise and experience as an instrument builder, Evershed was able to improve upon these instruments and look at the Sun with great clarity. He started working on the spectrum of sunspots soon after.
• In the early morning of January 5, 1909, on a day when the atmosphere was exceptionally steady and sky transparency was excellent, Evershed obtained Sunspot spectra which showed for the first time line displacements in the penumbral region indicating an outward radial flow of gases in the spots. Two days later, Evershed obtained more spectra which confirmed the discovery. The discovery has since been named after him and is known today as the Evershed Effect.
• Earlier studies had concentrated on spots near the central meridian of the Sun. Evershed was the first to observe spots at various positions, up to 50 degrees, on either side of the central meridian. He found that the line displacements were more pronounced in the penumbral regions of the spots which are closer to the limb of the Sun. This clearly showed that the flow of the gases was radially outward parallel to the surface of the Sun. Evershed‘s discovery is the forerunner of many important discoveries which connect the velocities and magnetic fields on the surface of the Sun, which has given rise to the entire field of solar magneto hydrodynamics. Evershed‘s work established the reputation of Kodaikanal as one of the best solar observatories in the world. In 1913, Evershed visited Kashmir for three months and found the observing conditions in the Kashmir Valley excellent for solar work. He established a temporary observatory near Srinagar in 1915-16 obtaining very high-quality photographs of prominences and sunspots.
• During the hundred years since Evershed‘s discovery, our understanding of the solar phenomena and the solar-terrestrial relations has grown enormously. It has profoundly influenced diverse fields of science and great benefits have been derived from these studies. Solar space missions have further enriched our knowledge of the complex processes taking place on the solar surface and their impact on the interplanetary space and our terrestrial environment.
• Text : As per the material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 10, 2003

Issued for : India Post, through the release of this joint issue of stamps, conveys the message of further consolidating its friendship, cooperation and partnership with ROK for the Twenty First century.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Bharati Meerchandani based on material obtained from the Postal authorities of ROK and photograph by M.D. Sharma.
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Se-tenant pair of 2 Stamps, Mint Condition

Colour : Four Colour

Denomination : 1500 Paise each

Overall size : 2.90 x 3.91 cms.

Printing size : 2.50 x 3.50 cms.

Perforation : 13.5 x 13.5

Paper : Matt Chromo

Print Quantity : 0.8 million each

Number of Stamps per sheetlet : 16

Printing Process : Photo Offset

Printer : Calcutta Security Printers Ltd.

About : 

• India and Korea share traditional ties of friendship and a common Asian heritage. There have been contacts between the two peoples through the centuries. This shared historical legacy is immortalised in the Korean epic “Samguk Yusa” (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), according to which King Kim Suro married a Princess from Ayodhya. Subsequently, the advent of Buddhism into Korea, resulting in increased people-to-people exchanges, acted as the catalyst for enhanced linkages between the two countries. Today the India – Republic of Korea relationship is based on this strong foundation of shared cultural and spiritual heritage, democracy, human freedom and economic complementarities. In recent years, these relations have been reinforced with several bilateral, institutional mechanisms, set up for regular interaction between the two countries on issues of mutual interest. Besides, India’s “Look East” policy has always included the Republic of Korea as an important component. India was actively involved in the Peninsula to support the United Nations during the Korean War and also after the war.
  
• Trade and investment constitute an important aspect of the India – ROK bilateral relations. Total bilateral trade in 2002-03 was US$ 2.2 billion and is growing. Total cumulative approved ROK investment to India is nearly US$ 3 billion. There has been fruitful interaction and growing cooperation in the Information Technology sector.
  
• India – Korea ties have surged ahead in all directions and completed thirty years of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Providing further impetus to mutual understanding and cooperation, the Postal Administrations of the two countries have embarked on a joint venture in Philately through the release of a set of stamps.
  
• The setenant features the ancient observatories of the two nations that depict the technological advancements in the field of astronomy at that time. The Korean stamp depicts the Cheomseongdae Astronomical Observatory at Gyeongju. The observatory was built in 647 A.D. during the reign of Queen Seondeok (632-647) in the Silla period and is 9.17 metres high. It is probably the oldest observatory still remaining in East Asia. As an astronomical observation centre of Silla, it served as the standard of the meridian. It can be seen that astronomy was deeply related to agriculture in that it could decide the farming time according to the movement of the celestial bodies. And it was also deeply related to politics as the good and bad luck of a nation could be predicted according to the result of observing the heavens. Accordingly, astronomy became the great interest of a nation, and as a result, it is natural to have built Cheomseongdae.
  
• The Indian stamp features the ‘Jantar Mantar’ at Jaipur. Etymologically speaking, the Sanskrit word ‘Yantra’ meaning instrument is ‘Jantar’ in the local dialect and the Sanskrit word ‘Mantra’ or Mantar means a mystical formula meant for attainment in astronomical and mathematical calculations as well as in spiritual life. The Jantar Mantar at Jaipur was constructed by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 1728 A.D. and is 431 metres above Mean Sea Level. He had a monumental love for astronomy that found expression in the creation of this observatory. It is situated in the vicinity of the Royal city palace so that the Astronomer-Maharaja could carry out celestial observations whenever he wanted. The objective of its construction was to popularise the study of astral luminaries, to make celestial observations, to prepare the ephemeris, almanacs and calendars. This magnificent scientific creation paved the way for the pursuit of astronomical studies and research in the country. It became the Mecca for Indian and European astro-scholars. The observatory was restored under the orders of Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II in 1901 A.D. It still serves as an arena of practical demonstrations and examination for the students of astronomy.
  
• Text : Based on inputs received from Ministry of External Affairs and ROK.

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Issued by India

Issued on Jun 11, 2001

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue a postage stamp in honour of this genius who revived traditional Indian Astronomy.

Design : The stamp design includes Gola Yantra, an instrument used by Chandra Sekhar for measuring planetary positions. The First Day Cover portrays the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), located at Khodad near Pune. This state of the art radio telescope, the largest in the world, represents the coming of age of modern Indian Astronomy, the foundation for which was laid by the ancient naked eye astronomers.

Samanta Chandra Sekhar epitomised the greatness of traditional Indian astronomy which attempted with considerable success, to unravel the mysteries of the heavenly bodies through observations with the naked eye. The giant metrewave radio telescope, Khodad, which is a modern, state of the art, aperture synthesis radio telescope represents the other end of the continuum of Indian astronomy.

Credits :
Stamp : Sankha Samanta
FDC : Based on material furnished by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Pune
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : First Day Cover

Colour : Four Colour

Denomination : 300 Paise

Overall size : 2.90 x 3.91 Cms.

Printing size :  2.54 x 3.55 Cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Imported Unwatermarked Stamp Paper

Stamps Printed : 0.4 million

Number per issue sheet : 40

Printing Process : Photo Offset

Printer : Madras Security Printers Ltd.

Name : Mahamahopadhyaya Chandrasekhar Singh Harichandan Mohapatra Samanta

Born on Dec 13, 1835 at Khandapada, Nayagarh district, Odisha, India

Died on Jun 11, 1904

About :

• Samanta Chandra Sekhar (1835-1904) is a prominent name in traditional Indian Astronomy, who has been placed by some scholars at par with the great fours of Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Brahmagupta and Bhaskracharya.
• Chandra Sekhar was taught to identify stars by his father when he was a child. He developed deep insight into astronomy through self education. Finding that the stars and planets did not rise and appear at positions predicted by the ancient Siddhantas, he set out for observation, night and day, checking the figures occurring in the earlier works. He began recording his observations and making formulations of the ideas at the age of twenty three and started putting them in the form of a treatise some three years later. The complete script of Siddhanta Darpana, his treatise, was ready by 1869, when he was thirty four. However, the work was checked and refined for twenty three years more, till it was declared by the author to be closed in 1892.
• The Siddhanta Darpana is divided into five sections, of which the first two deal with the mean motion and true position of the planets respectively. The third section deals with the motion described in terms of space, time and direction. The fourth gives an account of related mathematical topics like spherical trigonometry and the fifth describes different ways of reckoning time. Chandra Sekhar observed, verified and corrected wherever necessary, all that was known to the Hindu astronomers for thousands of years. The Siddhanta Darpana has been written in beautiful, metrical Sanskrit verse and is a fine piece of literary work apart from being of appreciable scientific value. Further, the work enjoys practical importance even today, as the most widely accepted almanac in Orissa is prepared as per the prescriptions of the Darpana.
• Chandra Sekhar did not know about modern astronomical instruments. It is remarkable that he had used only some rudimentary instruments, some of them devised by himself, for his extraordinary observations. Samanta had made contributions to all the four major aspects of astronomy, namely (i) observation (ii) calculation (iii) method of measurement and (iv) theory and model. The “Nature” and the “Knowledge”, famous scientific journals, wrote in praise of Siddhanta Darpana and Samanta Chandra Sekhar, in 1899. The former declared this genius even greater than the famous Tycho Brahe and the latter named him the greatest naked eye astronomer.
• Text : Based on material furnished by the Samanta Chandra Sekhar Smruti Parishad, Bhubaneswar.

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Issued by India

Issued on Apr 12, 2001

Issued for : The Department of Posts is proud to issue a postage stamp on Yuri Gagarin.

Credits :
Stamp : Sankha Samanta
FDC : Design layout by Nenu Gupta based on the material furnished by the sponsors.
Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Four Colour

Denomination : 1500 Paise

Overall size : 2.90 x 3.91 cms.

Printing Size : 2.90 x 3.91 cms.

Perforation : 13.5 x 13.5

Paper : Matt Chromo

Stamps Printed : 0.8 million

Number per issue sheet : 40

Printing Process : Photo Offset

Printer : Calcutta Security Printers Ltd.

Name : Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin

Born on Mar 9, 1934 at Klushino, Russia

Died on Mar 27, 1968 at Kirzhach, Russia

About : 

• On April 12, 2001, the world celebrated the 40^th anniversary of man’s first space flight. The Department of Posts commemorated this event and the memory of Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin (1934-1968), who became the first man to escape the gravity well of planet earth and orbit the earth, travelling in the space ship Vostok 1. This led to many other space-flights and revelations about the outer space.
• Gagarin hailed from Klushino, a small village 100 miles west of Moscow, and his parents were workers in a Kolkhoz (collective farm). As a teenager, his ambition was to become a pilot. He studied maths and physics in the secondary school and went on to join a trade school where he became a foundry-man. The works of Longfellow, Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens and the Russian rocket pioneer Konstantin Tsiolkovsky influenced him in his formative years. Later he joined the technical school in Saratov, where he also got the chance to join a flying club and to realise his dream of becoming a pilot. He joined the Soviet Air-Force and went to Orenburg Aviation School, where he learned to fly MIGs. It was at the Aviation School that he met Valentina Ivanovna Goryacheva whom he married later. In 1957, at the age of 23, Yuri graduated with top ranking honours from Orenburg and became a Lieutenant in the Soviet Air-Force.
• Yuri Gagarin had secretly harboured an ambition to join the space programme, ever since the Soviet Union announced their plans of sending a man to space. In 1959, he submitted a request to be considered for cosmonaut training and was selected. He underwent the extreme physical, mental and psychological rigours of the training in a calm and resolute manner and finished at the top. Finally he was chosen for the historic, but dangerous voyage into outer space. Chief Designer Korolev, the head of the Soviet Space Programme commented later : “A good pilot is one who, in one minute of flight, can make enough observations, and draw enough conclusions, to keep an entire institute busy with them for a whole year. A bad pilot can fly for a whole week but only obtain enough information for an hour’s work. What pleased us so much about Gagarin was that in 108 minutes he was able to see a great deal and enrich science with valuable information and conclusions.”
• Following his return to earth, Yuri Gagarin received a hero’s welcome, not just in his country, but all over the world. He embarked on a world tour as an ambassador of goodwill. Gagarin, the quintessential cosmonaut wanted to reach the stars again, and began training for the first Soyuz flight in 1967. However, he died in an unfortunate accident on March 27, 1968, when the jet he was test piloting crashed. In honour of his great contribution to space exploration, a crater on the moon was named after him.
• Though the 40^th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s space flight was an occasion for celebration for all the nations of the world, it had a special significance for India because of the long tradition of Indo-Soviet collaboration in space science, dating back to the early sixties. The collaboration further intensified during the seventies, when three Indian satellites, Aryabhatta, Bhaskara-I and Bhaskara-II were launched from the erstwhile USSR. The Indo-Soviet joint manned mission conducted in April 1984, on board the Soyuz T-II space station was another highlight of the collaboration between the two countries.
• Text : Based on material supplied by the sponsors.

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Issued by India

Issued on Sep 29, 2000

Stamp Designs : The first two stamps are on OCEANSAT-1 and INSAT-3B respectively, representing the country’s latest achievements in satellite technology. The third stamp in setenant format carries a painting by S. Praveen, winner of the 1^st prize in the senior category in Stamp Design Competition for Children: 1999 on the theme ‘India in Space – 2025’, indicative of the fascination of the young mind for space exploration and the quest for knowledge about the unknown. It also brings out the yearning of the new generation to see India excelling in this advanced field of science.

The first day cover is yet another painting made for Stamp Design Competition for Children: 1999, by Parishi Miaish Yagnik, on the theme ‘India in Space – 2025’.

Credits :
Stamp : ISRO (OCEANSAT-1 and INSAT-3B) and S. Praveen (India in Space)
FDC : Parishi Minish Yagnik
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : 2 Single Stamps and 1 Se-tenant pair of 2 Stamps, Postal Used

Colour : Four Colour

Denomination : 300, 300 & (300 + 300) Paise

Overall size : 2.9 x 3.9 cms. & 5.8 x 3.9 cms. (Setenant)

Printing Size : 2.5 x 3.55 cms. & 3.55 x 2.7 cms. (Setenant)

Perforation : 13.5 x 13.5

Paper : Matt Chromo

Stamps Printed : 3 million each

Number per issue sheet : 40

Printing Process : Photo Offset

Printer : Calcutta Security Printers Ltd.

About : 

• India’s space programme was formally organised in 1972 when the Department of Space was established. The space programme, since its inception, has been guided by a vision that has emphasized the application of space technology specifically in the areas of telecommunication, television broadcasting, meteorology and resources survey and management. Development of satellites, launch vehicles and associated ground systems is essential to the space programme objective. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), National Remote Sensing Agency and Physical Research Laboratory are the agencies for executing the programme.
• Major Space SystemsIndia has established two main space systems – the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system and Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) system, which have become important elements of national infrastructure. INSAT is one of world’s largest multipurpose domestic satellite system providing services in the area of telecommunications, television broadcasting, educational television, business communication, mobile communication, search and rescue and meteorology. There are 280 telecommunication terminals of various types including 50 terminals for rural telegraphy in the north east, operating in the INSAT network providing about 5,322 two-way speech circuits over 166 routes. A large number of satellites based networks such as Indian Telephone Industries (ITI), Oil & Natural Gas Commission and National Thermal Power Corporation are operating through INSAT. The meteorological data gathering with VHRR instrument on board INSAT and its dissemination, along with its collection of remote area meteorological data from unattended platforms, has vastly improved weather forecasting in the country. Satellite based locale-specific disaster warning system has been established with over a hundred disaster warning receivers installed in the cyclone-prone coastal areas. INSAT has enabled a vast expansion in the television service with over 800 TV transmitters linked through INSAT. The INSAT television network provides access to over 80 per cent of India’s population. The IRS system, providing space-based remote sensing data is the back-bone for several projects covering agriculture, water resources, urban development, mineral prospecting, environment and forestry, drought and flood forecasting and ocean resources.
• Launch Vehicle TechnologyLaunch vehicle development which started in a modest way through SLV-3 which could put 40 kg class Satellite into near earth orbit received a major boost through the successful flights of the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), which injected the SROSS Satellites into low earth orbits, in 1992 and 1994. With a view to make its space programme self reliant, India has subsequently developed and commissioned the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) that can launch 1,200 kg class remote sensing satellites in polar sun-synchronous orbit. A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), that can launch 2,000-2,500 kg class of INSAT satellites into geo-synchronous transfer orbit is in an advanced stage of development.
• Space ScienceResearch in space science is actively pursued through the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, Space Physics Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram, Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad and ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore.
  
• International CooperationIndia has cooperative agreements in space with several countries and space agencies. Training in space applications is offered to personnel from developing countries under scheme known as Sharing of Experience in Space (SHARES). On the commercial front, India offers space hardware and services to international customers through Antrix Corporation of Department of Space.
  
• The FutureIndia’s space programme enters the new millennium with confidence, continuing to lay emphasis on large scale applications of space technology, while adapting to the dynamic and complex challenges that will emerge. Increasing and enhancing the INSAT services with incorporation of transponders in higher frequencies like KU and Ka-bands, introducing new services like direct-to-home television and digital audio broadcasting, tele-education, tele-health and personal communication, navigation and mobile communication, meteorology and disaster management and establishment of countrywide satellite based GRAMSAT system are envisaged. India will continue to retain its leadership in the field of space based remote sensing by developing and launching more advanced satellites having improved spatial and spectra resolutions, for applications in the area of agriculture, forestry, water, minerals, urban development and environment monitoring. Space science research will also be pursued to add to the world’s knowledge on our universe while providing new avenues to our scientists.
  
• Text : ‘India – A Reference Annual‘ (Publications Division) and material furnished by ISRO.

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Issued by Pakistan

Issued on Jun 7, 1992

Issued for : To commemorate the International Space Year 1992 as well as to mark the 30^th anniversary of the launching of the first scientific rocket of SUPARCO named Rehbar–1, Pakistan Post Office is issuing two commemorative postage stamps of Re. 1/- and Rs. 2/- denominations on June 7, 1992.

Designers :
Re. 1/- : Ilyas Jillani
Rs. 2/- : Syed Ali Afsar

Type : Stamps, Postal Used

Denomination : Re. 1/- and Rs. 2/-

Colour : Multi colour

Size of Stamp : 49.2 x 30.7 mm

Size of Print : 45 x 26.5 mm

Perforation : 13 C

Quantity : One million each design

Number of stamps in a sheet : 30 (6 x 5 rows)

Process of Printing : Litho Offset

Printers : Pakistan Security Printing Corporation

About : 

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of USA in 1986, initiated an idea of declaring the year 1992 as the International Space Year (ISY), which was discussed internationally at all relevant fora.
  
• In 1988, an International Space Year ‘Mission to Planet Earth’ Conference was held in Durham, New Hampshire, USA in which senior management officers from 17 Governmental space agencies/organisations as well as about 60 Earth observations scientists participated. The Conference agreed to establish a Space Agency Forum on International Space Year (SAFISY) which was to meet periodically to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas on ISY programmes. The major theme for ISY ‘Mission to Planet Earth’ was also endorsed by the Conference. Three Panels of Experts on (i) Earth Science and Technology, (ii) Education and Applications and (iii) Space Science were set up to carry out the recommendations of the Working Groups at the Durham Conference. A total of 57 projects were identified under these panels to be carried out under 15 Working Groups. Besides, several events and activities related to ISY 1992 have also been planned by the world scientific community.
  
• The General Assembly, at its forty-fourth session, in its resolution 44/46 of 08 December 1989, endorsed the participation of the United Nations in the International Space Year (UN-ISY). The scope of the UN-ISY activities undertaken by the United Nations in 1991-92, in cooperation with Member States as well as governmental organisations, focuses on three major areas:
  • (i) Management of the resources of the Earth and its environment;
  • (ii) Long-term education programmes;
  • (iii) Public education.
• In celebration of the ISY 1992, a World Space Congress is scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C., USA from 28 August to 05 September 1992, which will be organised by Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and International Astronautical Federation (IAF). This will be an unprecedented gathering of world space scientists, technologists, administrators and policy makers representing both developed and developing countries.
  
• Ever since the inception of the ISY concept, Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has been involved in visualising a comprehensive and befitting programme for celebrating the ISY 1992. A SUPARCO-ISY Committee had also been established to formulate the national programmes for this purpose. The programmes comprise several events, such as TV & Radio Panel Discussions; publication of special articles in the national press; holding of exhibitions on space research with special reference to ISY, in major cities of Pakistan; holding of Topical Seminars on Satellite Remote Sensing and Satellite Communications etc.
  
• Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) was set up as a Committee in September 1961 with the specific objective of acquiring the capability to make use of space science and space technology for peaceful purposes, primarily aimed at the socio-economic uplift of the people of Pakistan and also to give a general fillip to the scientific and technological activities in the country.
  
• The 30^th anniversary of the launching of the first scientific rocket in Pakistan by SUPARCO falls on 07 June 1992.
  
• SUPARCO was completely recognised and established as an independent national organization with the status of a full-fledged Commission in 1981.
  
• During the last three decades, SUPARCO has launched more than 200 rockets to perform scientific experiments in the altitude range of 20-550 km, and, has now all the capabilities/facilities to manufacture rockets required for high altitude scientific research.
  
• On 16 July 1990, SUPARCO launched its first indigenously made experimental satellite named BADR-1 and is now under way to fabricate its second experimental satellite BADR-B.
  
• (Contributed by : Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, Karachi).
  
• Issued by The Director General, Pakistan Post Office, Islamabad.

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