Issued by India

Issued on Aug 7, 2025

Issued for : The Department of Posts proudly releases a Commemorative Postage Stamp in honour of M.S. Swaminathan, celebrating his visionary contributions that transformed Indian agriculture and played a pivotal role in making India a food-secure nation.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Ms. Gulistaan

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 303225

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan

Born on 7 Aug, 1925 at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India

Died on 28 Sep, 2023 at Chennai, India

About : 

• Prof. Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan is globally revered as the father of India’s Green Revolution. Born in Tamil Nadu, India, on August 7, 1925, Swaminathan was educated at Travancore and Madras Universities. He earned his Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Cambridge in 1952 and received 85 honorary doctorates from institutions across continents. His scientific legacy is grounded in his work at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (1954-1972), where he initiated the dwarf wheat breeding programme and spearheaded efforts to raise yields through genetic innovation and crop improvement.
• From 1972 to 1979, he served as Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), during which he also designed and initiated the Agricultural Research Services (ARS) to enable lifelong specialisation for scientists. ARS helped attract and retain brilliant young scientists in the ICAR system. From 1972 to 1979, he concurrently served as Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education. From 1979 to 1980, he was Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. He managed the 1979 drought as Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Agriculture. Between 1980 and 1982, he served as a Member in charge of Agriculture and Rural Development in India’s Planning Commission. From 1981 to 1985, he was the Independent Chairman of the FAO Council. From 1982 to 1985, he was founder-chairman of the Society for the Promotion of Wasteland Development (SPWD), a professional NGO committed to ecological restoration. He also founded the International Council for Research on Agro-Forestry (ICRAF) and served as its Chairman (1977-1982).
• From April 1982 to January 1988, he served as Director General of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). At IRRI, he prioritised sustainable rice production and intra-generational and inter-generational equity in the research agenda.
• Between 1984 and 1990, he served as President of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). From 1989 to 1996, he was President of the World Wide Fund for Nature (India). From 2002 to 2007, he served as President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs.
• In addition to being a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and the Royal Society of London, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan worked in collaboration with scientists and policymakers on a wide range of problems in basic and applied plant genetics and agricultural research and development. He also helped develop a transparent and implementable method of recognising and rewarding the intellectual property contributions of tribal and rural families in the conservation and selection of plant genetic resources.
• He has published several hundred papers in international journals and several books, including “Building a National Food Security System” (Indian Environmental Society, 1981) and “Science and Integrated Rural Development” (Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi, 1982).
• He chaired several national and international committees of experts, including the Indian Expert Group on Programmes for the Alleviation of Poverty, Eradication of Leprosy and Blindness, the eco-development of Goa, the Himalayas and Western Ghats, and the preparation of a draft National Population Policy and a draft Biodiversity Act.
• He also served as Chairman of the Advisory Panel on Food Security, Agriculture, Forestry and Environment to the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED).
• Among his many distinguished awards are the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership (1971), the first award for serving the cause of women in development (1985), Padma Shri (1967), Padma Bhushan (1972), and Padma Vibhushan (1989). In 1986, he received the Albert Einstein World Award of Science. On October 6, 1987, he became the first laureate of the World Food Prize, regarded widely as the equivalent of a Nobel Prize in Agriculture. UNESCO designated Dr. M.S. Swaminathan in 1996 as UNESCO-Cousteau Professor in Ecotechnology for Asia.
• During 2004-06, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan served as Chairman of the National Commission on Farmers (NCF). On the basis of the report of the NCF, the Government of India announced a National Policy for Farmers in 2007. He was a Member of the Parliament of India (Rajya Sabha), from 2007-13. During 2010-13, he chaired the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) for the World Committee on Food Security (CFS).
• Dr. M.S. Swaminathan passed away on September 28, 2023, in Chennai, leaving behind a monumental legacy of scientific innovation that advanced global food security and championed sustainable agriculture.
• Text : Reference from the content provided by Proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 30, 2016

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to release a set of 10 commemorative postage stamps on Legendary Singers of India.

Credits :
Stamp / FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation Cachet : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 0.3 Million each

Miniature Sheet : 0.15 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Bhupen Hazarika

Born on Sep 8, 1926 at Sadiya, Assam, British India

Died on Nov 5, 2011 at Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

About : 

• Dr. Bhupen Hazarika (8 September 1926 – 5 November 2011) was a poet, music composer, singer, actor, journalist, author and film-maker of high repute born in Assam. Bhupen Hazarika began his career in films as a child actor in the second talkie film to be made in the pioneering years of 1939, Indramalati. After completing his education and leaving his job as a teacher, he went to Kolkata where he established himself as a successful music director and singer. During that period, he made several award winning Assamese films such as Shakuntala, Pratidhwani, etc. and composed evergreen music for many Assamese films. He was also considered as a trend setter in Bengali music. As a singer, he was known for his baritone voice and diction; as a lyricist, he was known for poetic compositions and parables which touched on themes ranging from romance to social and political commentary; and as a composer, for his use of folk music. Ek Pal (1986), Rudaali (1993) and Daman: A Victim of Martial Violence (2001) are some major hindi films to his credit. Bhupen Hazarika also composed music for films from Bangladesh which got international acclaim. He was awarded the Padamshree in 1977 for his outstanding contribution to the field of culture in India.
  
• Text : Based on the material available on Internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 30, 2016

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to release a set of 10 commemorative postage stamps on Legendary Singers of India.

Credits :
Stamp / FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation Cachet : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 0.3 Million each

Miniature Sheet : 0.15 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Prabodh Chandra Dey

Born on May 1, 1919 at Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India [now Kolkata]

Died on Oct 24, 2013 at Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

About : 

• Manna Dey (1 May 1919 – 24 October 2013), a legendary figure in Indian music, started his career in playback singing with the film Tamanna in 1942. Manna Dey established his versatility between 1948 to 1954 by singing not only classical based film songs but also such film songs which were a fusion of Indian classical music and pop music. His experimentation with western music too produced many unforgettable melodies resulting in an increase in singing offers in films from 1955. He had begun singing ghazals in Hindi films from 1953. He turned into an independent music composer in Hindi films with Maha Pooja in 1954. His peak period in Hindi film industry is considered to be from 1953 to 1969 where he is said to have recorded 758 Hindi songs of which 631 came between 1957 and 1969. His music has enthralled the audience throughout the world. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1971, the Padma Bhushan in 2005, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2007.
  
• Text : Based on the material available on Internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 30, 2016

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to release a set of 10 commemorative postage stamps on Legendary Singers of India.

Credits :
Stamp / FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation Cachet : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 0.3 Million each

Miniature Sheet : 0.15 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Mohammed Rafi

Born on Dec 24, 1924 at Kotla Sultan Singh, Punjab, British India

Died on Jul 31, 1980 at Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

About : 

• Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was one of the most popular playback singers of the Hindi film industry. He was notable for his versatility and he sang a wide range of songs including classical numbers, patriotic songs, sad lamentations, highly romantic numbers, qawwalis, ghazals and bhajans. Between the years 1950 and 1970, Rafi was the most sought after singer in the Hindi film industry. His style was smooth and easy and his range varied from Bhajans and Ghazals to light hearted romantic songs including Yahoo. Mohammed Rafi was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1967.
  
• Text : Based on the material available on Internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 30, 2016

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to release a set of 10 commemorative postage stamps on Legendary Singers of India.

Credits :
Stamp / FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation Cachet : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 0.3 Million each

Miniature Sheet : 0.15 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Thoguluva Meenatchi Iyengar Soundararajan

Born on Mar 24, 1922 at Madurai, Madras Presidency, British India [now in Tamil Nadu]

Died on May 25, 2013 at Chennai, India

About : 

• T.M. Soundararajan (24 March 1922 – 25 May 2013), popularly known as TMS, was a playback singer in Tamil films for over six decades. He sang over 20,000 film songs and over 3,000 devotional and classical songs. In a career spanning over 6 decades he recorded film songs in eleven languages including, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and other Indian languages. He also composed music for several of the ever green devotional songs that were recorded. He was the most popular male playback singer in South India from the 1950s until 1991. His robust and full-throated singing perfectly suited two mega stars of South Indian Cinema – M.G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan, who had their roots in Tamil theatre. A versatile singer, he modulated his voice to suit the two stars perfectly. He also acted in a few films.
  
• Text : Based on the material available on Internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 26, 2016

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to release a set of eight Commemorative Postage Stamps on Personality Series: Bihar.

Credits :
Stamp / FDC / Brochure / Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Nenu Gupta & Smt. Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 2.0 Lakh

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Phanishwar Nath Mandal ‘Renu‘

Born on Mar 4, 1921 at Araria, Bihar, India

Died on Apr 11, 1977

About : 

• Phanishwar Nath Renu was one of the most successful and influential writers of modern Hindi literature. Popularly known as Renu, he not only one of the great Hindi writers but also a freedom fighter, memoirist, an active political and social activist. He is best known for promoting the voice of the contemporary rural India through the genre of ‘Aanchalik Upanyas’ (Regional Story), and is placed amongst the pioneering Hindi writers who brought regional voices into the mainstream Hindi literature. Phanishwar Nath ‘Renu’ was born on 4^th March 1921, at small village of Purnea district (Now Araria district) in state of Bihar in a middle class farmer family. He did his Matriculation from, Nepal and gained higher education from Banaras Hindu University. In 1942 he left his studies and took part in the Indian Freedom Struggle. He also spent three-year rigorous imprisonment in Bhagalpur Jail. He participated in the Nepali revolutionary movement against the Nepal Monarchy in 1950 which resulted in the establishment of democracy in Nepal.
• He has also penned a number of short stories, poems, memories and travelogues. His first novel “Maila Anchal” was published in 1954, which is considered a masterpiece of Hindi literature. Renu portrayed the culture, the characters and the narrative of Mithila with amazing sensitivity in Hindi literature for the first time. The novel radically changed the structure and narrative style in Hindi novels. The distinct feature in the novel is that it does not possess a structured plot or story in the conventional sense. For the first time the National Canvas illustrated the regional flavors and nuances, highlighting the richness and the life force, which only diversity can bring in.
• Phanishwar Nath ‘Renu’ was awarded one of India’s highest civilian honours, the Padma Sri in 1910 which he returned later in protest of proclamation of Emergency.
• Text : Based on the material available on internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Mar 4, 2016

Issued for : The Department of Posts is pleased to release a commemorative postage stamp on Shri Vasantrao Srinivassa Sinai Dempo.

Credits :
Stamp / FDC / Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.4012 million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Vasantrao Shrinivas Dempo

Born on Feb 4, 1916 at Santa Cruz, Goa, India

Died on Nov 9, 2000

About : 

• Mr. Vencatexa Sinai Dempo, also known as Vasantrao, was born to Mrs. Satyabhama and Mr. Srinivassa Sinai Dempo on 4^th March, 1916. The family home at Calapur (Santa Cruz) in which the young Vasantrao grew up was steeped in religiosity and orthodox ritual, from which came his staunch piety towards his family deities and reverence for the Pontiff of the Monastic School to whose sect he belonged. Having studied Marathi, Portuguese and English, he grew aware of the great world of business that lay beyond Goa. Generations of land-owning, shipping, trading in agricultural produce and underwriting had led to the Dempos being esteemed highly, for their integrity as much as for their social responsibility. It was Vasantrao‘s genius that he kept alive and strengthened this glorious tradition, while pioneering new lines and new practices of business.
• Commencing the trading in commodities sourced overseas, Vasantrao made available a wealth of choice to the Goan consumer. Casting about for business opportunity, he showed great foresight in recognizing the potential for iron ore mining in Goa. Acquiring mining concessions in the late 1930s and early 1940s, he formed V. S. Dempo & Co. Pvt. Ltd., the Group flagship in 1941, assisted by his brother, Mr. Vaikunthrao S. Dempo. The Company would go on to become a much-lauded export house in addition to the region’s premier mining and processing concern. Acquiring the ore-rich mine at Bicholim, till today Goa‘s largest, he set up Dempo Mining Corporation Pvt. Ltd., the flagship’s subsidiary, a few years later. Recognizing the vulnerability of Europe-oriented exports to the Suez Canal, Vasantrao looked far Eastwards instead, commencing exports to Japan, in particular to Nippon Steel, starting a long business relationship that abides to this day; over half a century later. Vasantrao invested in transhipper vessels on contracts with international corporate giants such as Krupp. He did so, correctly foreseeing the logistical scale of operations involved in the undertaking. Vasantrao‘s iron resolve rode the Company out of the pre-Liberation naval blockade of Goa.
• The years following Goa’s Liberation were those of consolidation and expansion, when his son and eventual successor, Vasudeva V. Dempo, joined in assisting him in a long, devoted and fruitful apprenticeship that saw newer lines of activity at the House of Dempo. Manufacture of calcined petroleum coke, marine paints and baby foods, newspaper publishing, shipping, ship building, civil contracting, real estate development, travel services, automobile dealerships, and stevedoring, followed.
• Vasantrao Dempo set the foundations for higher education in newly-liberated Goa. He patronized Goa‘s most consistently excelling soccer club and supported charitable causes and exerted his influence in promoting Goan industry. Honoring him for his efforts in nation-building, the Government of India conferred upon him the civilian award, “Padmashri”. Some of the awards that deserve special mention are the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for Excellence for 1990 for enhancing India‘s prestige and contributing towards national development, given by the London-based Non Resident Indians’ Institute, the Rotary Club of Panjim‘s “Ambassador of Goodwill” honour, and the Shiromani Institute’s award for national integration.
• Vasantrao was highly sought after as advisor by a number of institutions of worth. He sat on several highly regarded Committees and bodies. Chairman of the Indo-Portuguese Trade Council, he was also a member of the Lloyd‘s Register of Shipping for India, the American Bureau of Shipping’s Technical Committee and the Indo-Japan Business Corporation Committee. He also served as the President of the Goan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• Vasantrao was a man of great charm and enormous dignity. He radiated authority and exuded an unmistakable aura of power. When the end came on 9^th November, 2000 Vasantrao had ensured not only a place for himself in India‘s industrial history, but also in the hearts and minds of Goans.
• Text : Based on the material received from proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 30, 2014

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to issue a postage stamp on Baba Amte.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamp Printed : 0.6 Million (0.1 Million for proponent)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Muralidhar Devidas Amte

Born on Dec 26, 1914 at Hinganghat, Wardha, Maharashtra, India

Died on Feb 9, 2008 at Anandwan, Chandrapur, Maharashtra, India

About : 

• Muralidhar Devidas Amte, lovingly referred to as Baba Amte, was born at Hinganghat, Maharashtra on 26^th December. 1914.
  
• After obtaining a degree in Law in 1936, he started practicing as an advocate in Warora. Soon after, deeply moved by the poverty and degradation of the peasantry, he began organizing farmers’ cooperatives. He worked as a volunteer at sites affected by disaster as the Quetta earthquake of 1935 and Bengal famine in early 1940s. Influenced by Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi, he took an active part in the freedom struggle and was sentenced for organizing the lawyers to represent the imprisoned nationalist leaders.
  
• Baba Amte was also influenced by Sane Guruji, a social reformer from Maharashtra. He renounced his property and gave up the legal practice to set up a Shram Ashram (Hermitage of Labour) with the support of his wife, Sadhana. He worked wholeheartedly to improve the abysmal social and economic conditions of the social outcastes. It was the sight of a person in advanced stages of leprosy which proved to be the turning point in his life and influenced him to take the pledge to work for the care and rehabilitation of leprosy patients.
  
• In 1949, he attended a six month course on leprosy at the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine. He started treating leprosy patients in 60 villages around Warora by moving across villages on foot. In 1949, Baba Amte founded the Maharogi Sewa Samiti, a registered charity, which remained a medium for his activities. He set up a commune for leprosy patients, along with his wife, two sons, and six leprosy patients, called the Anandwan or ‘Forest of Joy’.
  
• Anandwan soon became the nerve centre of Baba Amte‘s relentless crusade, helping leprosy patients become self-confident persons capable of cooperative and creative leadership. Its inhabitants cultivated the land to become self sufficient, and the establishment grew to include a clinic with two hospital wards, primary school for visually impaired, school for hearing and speech impaired, a college of agriculture, and an orphanage.
  
• Baba Amte also worked for improving the health of the tribals. With a view to bring about national integration and check communal violence. Baba Amte undertook the Bharat Jodo Yatra in December, 1985 from Kanyakumari to Jammu and covered different states reiterating his plea for checking religious fundamentalism, linguistic and territorial bickering and keeping the country above individuals. He also protested against the displacement of people affected by building of the dam across the river Narmada.
  
• Baba Amte was conferred the Padma Shree in 1971, Padma Vibhushan, and the Welfare of the Disabled award in 1986, and Gandhi Peace Prize in 1999. Baba Amte also received the Damien-Dutton Award in 1983 and the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1985.
  
• Baba Amte worked incessantly for welfare of the society till his death on 9^th February, 2008.
  
• Text : Based on the information furnished by the proponent.
  

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Issued by India

Issued on Sep 3, 2014

Issued for : There have been many maestros who have nurtured Indian classical music and have made its presence felt in the national and international arena. India Post is paying a tribute to such legendary maestros of Indian Classical Music by releasing a set of eight stamps on Indian Musicians.

Credits :
Stamp/Miniature Sheet/Sheetlets/First Day Cover : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 2500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.8 Million

Miniature Sheet : 0.4 Million

Sheetlets : 0.1 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Mallikarjun Bheemrayappa Mansur

Born on Dec 31, 1910 at Dharwad, Karnataka, India

Died on Sep 12, 1992 at Dharwad, Karnataka, India

About : 

• Music has always been an important aspect of Indian life. Classical Music, which is based on ragas, has been the mainstay of the life of the people in the country. Its various forms have been used in movies, music albums, folk songs, etc.
  
• Indian Classical Music is of two types – Hindustani and Carnatic music. Hindustani music is mainly found in North India. Khayal and Dhrupad are its two main forms. There is a significant amount of Persian influence in Hindustani music in terms of the instruments, style of presentation and ragas. There is also a rich tradition of Gharanas in classical Hindustani Music. Carnatic music, found mainly in South India, tends to be rhythmically intensive and structured when compared with Hindustani Music.
  
• Mallikarjun Mansur, a Hindustani classical singer of the khyal style in the Jaipur–Atrauli gharana, was born on 31^st December, 1910 at Dharwad, Karnataka. He started his music training with Carnatic music and later learnt Hindustani music in which he excelled. Mansur was well known for his command over a large number of rare ragas such as Shuddh Nat, Asa Jogiya, Hem Nat, etc. as well as his constant, mercurial improvisations in both melody and metre without ever losing the emotional content of the song. Gradually he developed his own style of rendition. He wrote an autobiographical book titled Nanna Rasayatre in Kannada. He received the Padma Shri in 1970, Padma Bhushan in 1976, and Padma Vibhushan in 1992. He died on 12^th September, 1992.
  
• Text : Based on the material provided by Sangeet Natak Akademi and Internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on May 3, 2013

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paisa

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Bhanumathi Ramakrishna

Born on Sep 7, 1925 at Doddavaram, Maddipadu Mandal, Guntur district, Madras Presidency, British India [now in Prakasam district, Tamil Nadu]

Died on Dec 24, 2005 at Chennai, India

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