Issued by India

Issued on Dec 31, 2013

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to release a Commemorative Postage Stamp on Babu Banarsi Das.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC : Anuj Kurnar
Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

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

Name : Babu Banarasi Das

Born on Jul 8, 1912 at Utarawli, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India

Died on Aug 3, 1985

About : 

• Babu Banarsi Das, popularly known as Babuji, was born on 8^th July, 1912 in village Utarawli, District Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.
• He participated in the freedom struggle from a young age as a result of which he could not have much formal education. He had complete command over many languages such as Sanskrit, Urdu, Hindi and English. During the freedom struggle, he faced severe hardships due to his opposition to the British government. He was jailed several times but never gave up his struggle for India‘s independence. He actively participated in the Non-cooperation movement.
• After independence of the country in 1947, he was elected unopposed to the State Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh. Thereafter, he was elected to the State Assembly several times during which he headed various departments as minister, and became Speaker and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Babuji sowed the seeds of true economic self reliance and independence for the common farmer in the state by spearheading the cooperative movement and sustaining it to empower its people. As a result of his efforts, Cooperative Act was enacted in 1965. As a Cooperative Minister, he ensured constitution of various cooperative societies in the entire State of U.P. He initiated the idea of starting agro-processing units at a time when people were even unaware of it. He was also elected to the Rajya Sabha in the year 1972 and later represented Bulandshahar in Lok Sabha.
• He strongly advocated female education. Due to his efforts, in Bulandshahar alone, more than 150 schools were opened. Babu Banarsi Das‘s enthusiasm for life and capacity for hard work manifested in his being a great organizational worker, a scholar of several languages and a visionary for his state and its people.
• He left for heavenly abode on 03.08.1985.
• Text : Based on the material furnished by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 27, 2013

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

Credits :
Stamp/FDC : Anuj Kumar
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.31 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printers : India Security Press, Nashik

Name : Ekalabya

About : 

• Eklavya was the son of Vyatraj Harinyadhanu, a soldier in the army of Jarasandha, King of Magadha. The relations between Magadha and Hastinapur were not friendly at that time. Eklavya wanted to learn archery in the Gurukul of Dronacharya who was appointed by the royal family of Hastinapur to teach martial arts to the young Kaurava and Pandav princes. Eklavya, therefore, went to meet Dronacharya. Although, Dronacharya was impressed by young Eklavya’s sincere desire he turned him away on finding out that Eklavya was not of a high caste.
• Eklavya returned home deeply hurt but he was still resolute. He made a statue of Dronacharya and accepted him as his Guru. He practiced in front of the statue every single day and years of discipline nurtured him into an archer of exceptional prowess.
• On amavasya night, when there was complete darkness, Eklavya sewed the mouth shut of a wild barking dog which was disturbing everyone’s sleep in the forest by firing arrows in rapid succession. That night Dronacharya and his pupils had come for hunting in the same forest and were astounded to see such a feat. On searching the forest, they met a young man who introduced himself as a student of Dronacharya. Surprised at such a declaration Dronacharya refuted his claim. Eklavya then led him to the statue. Dronacharya was surprised to see his own statue.
• Dronacharya seized the opportunity to ask Eklavya for his right thumb as gurudakshina. Eklavya gave away his thumb to his guru and ruined his ability as an archer. Dronacharya thus fulfilled his ambition to protect the superiority of Arjuna.
• Eklavya learned to shoot with four fingers and left hand. He has been hailed as a mighty warrior and worked as a confidant of King Jarasanda.
• Text : Based on the text furnished by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 23, 2013

Issued for : Department of Posts is honouring Gulab Singh Lodhi, the unsung hero of the freedom movement, by issuing a Commemorative Postage Stamp.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.32 Million (0.01 million for the proponent)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

Name : Gulab Singh Lodhi

Born on 1903 at Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, India

Died on 1935 at Aminabad, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

About : 

• The story of Indian Freedom Movement is rife with tales of heroes whose contribution has remained unrecognized. One such hero was a humble farmer from the state of Uttar Pradesh, Gulab Singh Lodhi.
• Gulab Singh Lodhi was born in the year 1903 at Fatehpur Chaurasi, District Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. His father, Ram Rathan Singh Lodhi, was a simple farmer.
• Little is known about his childhood. He grew up in the turbulent era when the fervor of the freedom movement was at its peak. Lodhi took active part in the political activities against the British rule.
• Gulab Singh Lodhi participated in a procession at Lucknow which marched to the Aminabad Park for hoisting the tri-colour in August, 1935. The park was surrounded by British troops in order to prevent the hoisting of the flag. Gulab Singh Lodhi defied the show of armed force and climbed a tree with the tri colour. As he was hoisting the flag atop the tree, he was shot dead by a British officer.
• Text : Based on the material furnished by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 17, 2013

Issued for : Department of Posts salutes the dedication and patriotism of Beant Singh by issuing a Commemorative Postage Stamp on him.

Credits :
Stamp/FD : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.31 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Beant Singh

Born on Feb 19, 1922 at Patiala, Punjab, India

Died on Aug 31, 1995 at Chandigarh, Punjab, India

About : 

• Beant Singh was born to Captain Hazura Singh and Sahib Kaur on 19^th February, 1924 at village Bilaspur in the erstwhile Patiala district of the then PEPSU State. Bilaspur is now a part of Payal Tehsil of Ludhiana District in Punjab.
• Beant Singh passed his graduation from Government College, Lahore where he was known to be an outstanding football player. Beant Singh was deeply moved to see bloodshed in the communal riots at the time of partition of the country in 1947. He strived to guide and help the hapless and poor migrants, many of whom had lost their kith and kin and property. He also helped in their rehabilitation and guided many of them for getting land and property allotted in India in lieu of their land and property left behind in Pakistan.
• Beant Singh belonged to a family of army officers but he chose the field of public service for himself. He started his political career as Sarpanch of the village Bilaspur. He was elected as Chairman, Block Samiti, Doraha in 1960. He was elected as Director of the Central Cooperative Bank, Ludhiana in 1963. He was elected to Punjab Vidhan Sabha, as an independent candidate, from Payal Assembly Constituency in 1969 and served with full dedication. He again returned to Punjab Vidhan Sabha, as a Congress Candidate in 1972, 1977, 1980 and in 1992 and served as a Minister under S. Darbara Singh. He also held several important positions in the Congress Party during his illustrious political career.
• Beant Singh took over the reins of the Punjab State as its Chief Minister in 1992 and is known for his contribution in bringing peace to the state when it was engulfed in terrorism. He displayed remarkable confidence, using a deft combination of firmness and reconciliation and was successful in eliminating militancy and thereby establishing peace and normalcy in the State. He strived hard to strengthen the economic condition of the State after the return of peace and communal harmony.
• He was assassinated on 31^st August, 1995.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 10, 2013

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to release a Commemorative Postage Stamp on Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/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 : 

• Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) was registered under the Society Act on 2^nd May, 1963 with the objective of development of training activities for building up a cadre of competent export management personnel in the country, development of research into various problems of foreign trade, initiation and implementation of programmes of overseas marketing research; and building up of export information required by them for effective export operations. Their objectives were translated into mission and vision of the Institute.
• The vision of IIFT was translated into four major activity areas, namely Long Term Programme, Management development programmes, International Collaborations, Research and Publications. In its long term programme, IIFT trains the young professionals in the area of International Business and has created more than 4000 professionals through this programme. The Institute’s services have been utilized by the ITC, ESCAP, UNIDO, UNCTAD, GATT and CFTC for organizing seminars, training programmes, export management development programmes and market orientation tours.
• The Research Division at IIFT has been instrumental in providing policy inputs to the Government of India on foreign trade, with an emphasis on blending theory with practice, and keeping itself upgraded with quality research studies on the changing dynamics of national and international business. It has set up several esteemed research centres like the Centre for WTO Studies, Centre for Small and Medium Enterprises Studies (SME Centre) and the Centre for International Trade in Technology (CITT). The Institute’s research work is for wider dissemination among the business community, government departments and academia through a quarterly journal Foreign Trade Review and a bi-monthly magazine Focus WTO.
• IIFT has its campus in Delhi, Kolkata and Dar–es–Salaam (Tanzania). Further, it has conducted about a dozen programmes in various African countries that include Ethiopia, Egypt, Botswana, Namibia, Angola and South Africa. The institute has 36 MOUs with business schools across Europe, North America, Africa and South East Asia.
• The Institute has emerges as a major Centre of International Business by aligning its teaching, research and training capabilities with its core vision over the years. In 2002, IIFT has been awarded the status of a “Deemed University“. It is also an Accredited Institution by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), an autonomous institution of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
• Text : Based on the material furnished by the proponent.

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Issued by Hong Kong

Issued on Dec 5, 2013

Issued for : Under the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“HKSAR”) is vested with legislative power and the Legislative Council (“LegCo”) is the legislature of the HKSAR. The functions of LegCo include enacting laws, examining and approving public expenditure, and monitoring the Government’s performance. Hongkong Post issues a set of four stamps on the theme of “Our Legislative Council“, with a view to enhancing the public’s understanding of LegCo.

Designs :
$1.70 – The LegCo Complex,

$2.90 – The old LegCo Building,

$3.70 – The Chamber of the LegCo Complex and

$5.00 – The President’s chair in the old LegCo Building.

Designed by : Shirman LAI

Type : Stamps, Mint condition

Watermark : No

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 1.70, 2.90, 3.70 & 5 Dollar

Stamp Size : 2.80 x 4.50 cms.

Perforation : 13.5 x 13.25 (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 Dec 5, 2013

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to release a Souvenir Sheet on ‘the Visit of Emperor & Empress of Japan‘.

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

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 2000 Paise

Souvenir Sheet : 0.81 million 

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan will visit India from 30^th November to 5^th December, 2013. This will be the first time in the history of independent India that the Emperor and Empress of Japan will be making a State Visit to India. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko had visited India in November – December, 1960 as the then Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Japan.
  
• India–Japan relations have strengthened immeasurably over a period of time. Bilateral ties have expanded greatly in the political, economic, security, development, scientific and cultural fields. The visit to India by ‘Their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan‘ will further the relationship between both countries and strengthen the bilateral ties.
  
• Department of Posts is commemorating the relations between two countries with the release of a Souvenir Sheet portraying the Qutub Minar and Tokyo Tower.
• Qutub Minar :
  • Qutub Minar, in red and buff sandstone, is the highest tower in India. It has a diameter of 14.32m at the base and about 2.75m on the top with a height of 72.5m. Qutbu’d-Din Aibak laid the foundation of Minar in AD 1199 for the use of the muezzin (crier) to give calls for prayer and raised the first storey, to which were added three more storeys by his successor and son-in-law, Shamsud-Din Iltutmish. All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling the minar and supported by stone brackets, which are decorated with honey-comb design, more conspicuously in the first storey. Numerous inscriptions in Arabic and Nagari characters in different places of the minar reveal the history of Qutub.
• Tokyo Tower :
  • The Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower located in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. At 333 metres (1,093 ft), the Tokyo Tower is the second-tallest artificial structure in Japan. It was completed in the year 1958 as a symbol of Japan‘s rebirth as a major economic power. It serves as a television and radio broadcast antenna and tourist destination. The two-storey Main Observatory is located at 150 metres (490 ft) and provides a bird’s eye view of Tokyo while the smaller Special Observatory reaches a height of 250 metres (820 ft). Occasionally, Tokyo Tower’s lighting is changed to specific, unique arrangements for special events. During New Year’s Eve, the tower lights up at midnight with a year number displayed on one side of the observatory to mark the arrival of the new year.
• Text : Based on the material furnished by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and website of Archaeological Survey of India.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 4, 2013

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to release a Commemorative Postage Stamp on INS Vikramaditya.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC : Suresh Kumar
Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

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 : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• INS Vikramaditya, named after Vikramaditya the legendary king of Ujjain famed for his valour, wisdom and magnanimity, has been procured from Russia. The erstwhile “Admiral Gorshkov” named Russian heavy aircraft carrying cruiser, commissioned in the Russian Navy in 1987 has been modified to a conventional aircraft carrier at Sevmash Shipyard, Severodvinsk for use by the Indian Navy.
  
• Vikramaditya has been converted to a Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) aircraft carrier. The work in refurbishing the ship involved extensive refit and modernisation of its hull, machinery and systems, incorporating improved electronics, a ski jump and an arrester gear system. The carrier is a 44,500 tonne steam powered ship of 1,80,000 HP. The ship has a maximum speed of 29 knots with a range of 7000 nm at 18 knots speed. The 10,800 square meter of flight deck has a runway of 195 meters length along with 14-degree ski jump and a three-wire arrester gear system, to aid Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) operations of the MiG 29K aircraft. In addition to the MIG-29K, the ship operates the Sea Kings, Ka-28 Anti Submarine Warfare, Ka-31 Airborne Early Warning and Search and Rescue helicopters like Chetak. These aircraft provide the requisite Air Defence, Air Strike and Anti Submarine Warfare capabilities enabling the Carrier Task Force to project power and control at extended ranges.
  
• The induction of Vikramaditya into the Indian Navy has significantly enhanced the combat power of the Indian Navy, with extended reach and rapid response capability in undertaking operations within hostile aerial maritime strike range. The integral air element of Vikramaditya comprising of jet fighters and combat helicopters are a vital force multiplier, essential to warfighting and any operational task necessitating force protection, either at or from sea, exercising sea control over a larger area.
  
• Vikramaditya is indeed the mightiest ship in the arsenal of Indian Navy providing mobility, flexibility and strike potential thereby ensuring enhancement of both, its power and radius of action. Vikramaditya’s presence in the Indian Ocean makes the Indian Navy, a predominant force in the region and empowers India to play a stronger and significant role in the International Maritime Scenario.
  
• Text : Based on the material furnished by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 1, 2013

Issued for : As Nagaland celebrates the 50^th anniversary of Statehood, Department of Posts is commemorating the occasion by release of a Commemorative Postage Stamp.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC : Brahm Prakash
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.43 Million (0.12 million for proponent)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Nagaland became the 16^th State of the Indian Union on 1^st December, 1963 by merging Naga Hills District of Assam and Tuensang Frontier Division of North East Frontier Agency (NEFA). The emergence of the State is significant as it paved the way for peace to prevail in a land that was inflicted by untold violence and misery due to an insurgency movement. Statehood has paved the way for tremendous social and economic development to meet the aspirations and hopes of the people.
  
• For centuries, the Naga people lived in their mountain top villages, each completely independent. The Naga Hills District under Assam was established in 1866 with its Headquarters at Samaguting, which was later shifted to Wokha in 1876 and finally to Kohima in 1878. The eastern part of the Naga inhabited areas was incorporated in the North East Frontier Agency designated first as Naga Tribal Area and later as Tuensang Frontier Division in 1948.
  
• In 1957, the Naga Hills District and the Tuensang Frontier Division were joined together to form a new administrative entity known as Naga Hills Tuensang Area (NHTA). The arrangement, however, did not satisfy the aspirations of the Naga people. After several discussions finally in July, 1960, an agreement was arrived for formation of Nagaland as a full-fledged state. The State of Nagaland was inaugurated by the then President of India, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan at Kohima on the 1^st December, 1963. The first elections in the new State were held in January, 1964.
  
• Since attainment of Statehood, Nagaland has made tremendous strides and progress in all walks of life during the last 50 years. The population has grown from 3,69,200 in 1961 to 19,78,502 in 2011; literacy rate from 17% in 1961 to 79.35% in 2011; Government educational institutions from 519 to 2945 between 1963-2013, with at least one Government Primary School established at every recognized village in the State. By 1989, 100% villages in the state were electrified.
  
• Text : Based on the material furnished by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Nov 29, 2013

Issued for : SSB is in its Golden Jubilee year celebrating glorious years of unflinching service to the nation. Department of Posts is happy to commemorate this occasion by releasing a postage stamp on Sashastra Seema Bal.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.42 Million (0.11 million for the proponent)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is a unique unconventional organization, designed to work in the far-flung, strategic but vulnerable border areas motivating the border population across several states to work as a cohesive population aware of the threats from across the border and ready to respond in their own way.
  
• The humble beginning of Sashastra Seema Bal, earlier known as Special Service Bureau, was made in 1963 under Cabinet Secretariat in Tezpur (Assam) and also in the North-Eastern Frontier Agency (NEFA), later re-named as Arunachal Pradesh. SSB soon spread out into North Bengal, hills of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu. In the next two decades, SSB extended its footprints to the border areas of Manipur, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Guwahati, South Bengal and Nagaland. Guided by its motto of “Service, Security and Brotherhood”, SSB soon became a household name of the border areas and it was better understood as People’s Force.
  
• In the aftermath of the Kargil war the policy makers altered the role of SSB from “People’s Force” to “Men in Uniform” guarding 1751 kms long Indo-Nepal border. In 2001, the Special Service Bureau became Sashastra Seema Bal. Later in 2004, it was also given the responsibility of guarding 699 kms long Indo-Bhutan border. Working under the Ministry of Home Affairs, SSB is now spread along the international borders in the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and part of Arunachal Pradesh.
  
• SSB has played an important role in curbing anti-national activities and international crime, be it FICN, narcotics, wild life trade, arms peddling and so on. The presence of SSB has indirectly contributed to conservation of our prestigious forests and wild life sanctuaries right from Uttarakhand to Arunachal Pradesh.
  
• In recognition of its services, the President of India presented Colour to SSB in 2004. SSB’s officers and men have brought glory to the country and have earned many prestigious medals.
  
• Text : Based on the material furnished by the proponent.

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