News : July 2013

Special Cover on 70 years Celebrations of The Catholic Health Association of India, Secunderabad - 29th July 2013.

Founded in 1943 by Sr Mary Glowrey, an Australian sister-doctor, the Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI), is today one of the world's largest non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Adopting Community Health as its focus, CHAI has been successfully implementing community health interventions throughout India. CHAI has an expansive base of over 3,410 Member Institutions (MIs) including 484 large hospitals, more than 2000 medium as well as small hospitals and health centres, 121diocesan social service societies, 27 Nursing schools and 52 Leprosy centers. CHAI's massive network comprises 11 Regional Units, 1000 sister-doctors, 25,000 sister-nurses and 10,000 plus para- professionals who effectively render succor and support to the needy and the poor.

India Post, Andhra Pradesh Postal Circle released a Special Cover on 70 years Celebrations of The Catholic Health Association of India at Secunderabad.

Cover Courtesy: Ankit Agrawal, Pune

Special Cover on the occasion of Death Centenary of Servant of God Mother Eliswa - 28th July 2013.

Mother Eliswa was born on 15th October 1831 at Ochanthuruth in Ernakulam District, Kerala. She was a valiant woman who left behind the legacy of a religious culture for women which was unfamiliar in her time - 19th centuries in Kerala. She was not only the foundress of religious congregation but also of the first school for girls, boarding houses, orphanages attached to the school for girl students. It was one of the first women educational reformative movements in Kerala. She was taken to heavenly abode on 18th July 1913 at the age of 82 years. In recognition of her contribution to the society, Kerala Postal Circle released a Special Cover on 28th July 2013 on the occasion of Death Centenary of Servant of God Mother Eliswa (1913-2013) at Edappally.

Courtesy: Sreejesh Krishnan, Thiruvananthapuram.

Special Cover on Madras Christian College Globus Alumni Meet, Chennai - 27th July 2013.

The Madras Christian College (MCC) an arts and sciences college in Chennai, founded in 1837 is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. The college is affiliated to the University of Madras but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus in Tambaram, Chennai. The College is having the oldest Alumni Association in India. It was founded in 1891 on the initiative of a group of former students, with the object of organizing an annual reunion.

Global Alumni Reunion 2013 was organised by the alumni association on 27th and 28th July 2013 at College Campus situated in Tambaram (East), Chennai. The global reunion was the first of its kind in the history of the 176-year-old college. The reunion received overwhelming response from alumni based in different parts of the world. A Special cover was released to mark the occasion. Mr. Mervin Alexander, Postmaster General, Mails and Marketing, Chennai Circle, released the cover and it was received by K.M. Mammen, President of MCC Alumni Association.

Cover Courtesy: Ankit Agrawal, Pune

Special Cover Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Lady Ratanbai and Sir Mathuradas Vissanji Academy - 23rd July 2013.

Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Lady Ratanbai and Sir Mathuradas Vissanji Academy, established in 1963, a special cover was released at Mumbai. The cover was released by Mr Suresh Shetty, Hon’ble Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare and Environment and Protocol, Maharashtra State along with Shri Harish Agrawal, Postmaster General, Mail Management at the function organised at the auditorium of Vissanji Academy.

Envisioning the far sighting vision of education the Girl Child, Sir Mathuradas Vissanji laid the foundation for Lady Vissanji Academy, in the early 60's. The academy distinguished itself upon the achievement of each milestone with fortitude and a vision firmly grounded in benefitting society at large. Thus, the academy went through a 50 years of expansive progression, finally developing into a co-ed institution and achieving prominence as The Vissanji Academy.

Special Cover on Chennai AIR station released - 23rd July 2013.

All India Radio (AIR) Chennai, which was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of composite Madras State C. Rajagopalachary on 16th June 1938, has completed 75 years of existence. It is one of the oldest radio stations in the country. AIR Chennai celebrated its platinum jubilee this year. To mark the occasion, a special cover was released on 23rd July 2013 at Chennai. Release of the special cover coincide with the celebration of 86 years since electricity crackled through the capacitors and amplifiers of the Indian Broadcasting Company’s Bombay transmitter station on July 23, 1927, bringing to life the first radio station in Bombay.

Cover Courtesy: Mr. C. G. Bhaskar, Chennai.

Introduction of Permanent Pictorial Cancellation and Release of Special Cover on Kempe Gowda Tower, Bangalore - 23rd July 2013.

A permanent pictorial cancellation on Kempe Gowda Tower of Bangalore was released on 23rd July 2013 at Bangalore. On the occasion, a special cover was also released. Permanent pictorial Cancellation will be available at Basavanagudi HPO 560 004. Hilda Abraham, Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka Postal Circle, unveiled the pictorial cancellation at function organised at Meghdoot Auditorium, General Post Office, Bangalore. The pictorial cancellation with the Kempe Gowda tower on Lalbagh rock also has geological significance, apart the historical importance attached to it as it was established by the founding father of the city to mark the boundaries of Bangalore. The Lalbagh rock is called the pillow or bubble rock which was formed nearly 3,000 million years ago when a single bubble of lava settled there.

Simultaneously, a pictorial cancellation pack was also introduced with a collection of all 32 cancellations introduced so far, including the ones depicting Bandipur National Park, Nagarahole, Badami and Aihole. Thematic packs featuring bilateral issues, great personalities, and flora and fauna were also made available.

Courtesy: Mr. Jagannath Mani, Bangalore

Exhibition on Telegrams organsied at Chennai from 15th July 2013 for a period of one month:

An exhibition on 'Telegrams' is organised at the Philatelic Exhibition Hall, Anna Road Head Post Office, Chennai 600002 from 15.07.2013. This exhibition is to mark the closure of Telegraphic Service by the Department of Telecommunications, Govt. of India. Mr. Mervin Alexander, Post Master General, Chennai, inaugurated the exhibition.

Telegraphic Service was introduced in India during 1850s and for the past 160 years Telegraphic Service provided a vital link for the common man and also played a key role in the growth of the country.

Telegrams issued by the East India Company and other telecom service providers will be on display for a period of one month from 15.07.2013. It will provide a delightful experience to the viewers as most of the exhibits are more than 100 years old. The exhibition is open from 10 am to 4 pm, on all working days. The exhibition hall itself is located inside the 'Warwick Theatre', the first electric theatre in the City, which is one of the heritage landmarks of Chennai. The exhibition is being organized by South India Philatelists' Association, Chennai.

Two philatelists from Chennai, V. Ethiraj and M.T. Karunakaran, combed their collection of telegrams, and displayed some of the most significant ones tracing the evolution of the service in India.

Courtesy: Rainbow Stamp Club

Special Cover on Golden Jubilee Celebration of Rajasthan Youth Association Book Bank Project. - 14th July 2013.

Rajasthan Youth Association was formed in 1964 promote fellowship & render service to society. RYA’s main Social Service project is the Book Bank Project that is now in the 50th year and it is the oldest and largest of its kind in India. Book Bank Project beginning was initiated by giving a set of books to about 25 students of two colleges in the city of Madras, way back in 1964. Till last academic year, more than 85,000 students had benefited from RYA Book Bank and at any given point of time more than 7500 students are studying due to the services extended by RYA Book Bank. Golden Jubilee Annual RYA Book Bank function was held on 14th July 2013 at Kamaraj Memorial Hall in Chennai.

Special cover to commemorate the golden jubilee year of RYA Book Bank was released by Mervin Alexander, Post Master General, Tamil Nadu Circle on 14th July 2013.

Courtesy: Ankit Agrawal, Pune

Special Cover issued to mark 100 years of Mumbai Postal Co-Operative Society Ltd. - 11th July 2013.

A Special Cover was issued to mark 100 years of Mumbai Postal Co-Operative Society Ltd. on 11th July 2013 at Mumbai. The society was formed in 1914.

Cover Courtesy: Jigar Desai, Mumbai.

Uttarakhand: Relief Material to be Dispatched Free by Postal Department.

Department of Posts has decided to dispatch Parcels of relief material free of postage charges for providing help to the victims of natural calamity of Uttarakhand State. This facility is made available in various Post Offices where the parcels upto 35 KGs of relief material such as cloths, blankets, woolens, bedsheets, medicines, tarpaulin, plastic sheets, torch, long shelf-life food etc can be booked free of charges.

The Parcels should be marked as “Relief Material for Uttarakhand” and addressed to “The Senior Postmaster, Dehradun GPO, Dehradun-248001 (Uttarakhand)”. For any information call on 011-23632391 or email: adpo-dl@indiapost.gov.in This free of charge facility will be available upto 20th July 2013 only.

Special Cover on Ravindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi - 9th July 2013.

A special cover on Tagore's last spring festival at Shantiniketan was released on 9th July 2013 on the occasion of Stamp Expo - 2013, a stamp exhibition on 'Ravidranath Tagore and Mahatama Gandhi', organised by Ravindra Parishad and Department of Posts, at Patna. The special cover depicts, Baapu, Baa and Tagore at Shantiniketan in Spring festival. Cancellation depicts Ravindranath Tagore's Nobel Prize medal.

Cost of the cover is Rs. 50/- and can be obtained from Philatelic Bureau, Patna. through Counter or Mail order. Kindly send Money Order to the Chief Postmaster Patna GPO Add. The Chief Postmaster Philatelic Bureau Patna GPO Patna Bihar - 800001. Phone No. 0612-2236937

Cover Courtesy: Rainbow Stamp Club

Philately show on Ravindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi at Patna on 9th and 10th July 2013.

Ravindra Parishad and Department of Posts, Patna GPO organized a Stamp Expo-2013 on “Gandhi and Tagore” on the postage stamps on Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi on 9th and 10th July 2013 to commemorate the 100th year of Kaviguru winning the Nobel Prize at Rabindra Bhawan, Birchand Patel Path, Patna. The exhibition was inaugurated by K C Saha, Chairman of Bihar Public Service Commission. At least 2,000 rare stamps were on display at the exhibition. Exhibits of noted philatelists, Shekhar Chakravarty, Molay Sarkar, Pradeep Jain, R K Mishra and M K Mishra were on display in exhibition. Chakraborty is said to have the best collection of stamps on Tagore. When asked why stamps on Gandhi will be on exhibition, Prodipto Mukherjee said, "Mahatma and Kaviguru are two inseparable names. In fact, Kaviguru was the name given to Rabindra Nath Tagore by Gandhi and Mahatma was the name given to him by Tagore. So we decided to pay tributes to them together."

Special Cover on Golden Jubilee Celebration of Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram - 9th July 2013.

The Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), a constituent Institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) established in 1963 is the only research organization in the world dedicated to the research on topical tuber crops. Over the past 50 years, the Institute has released 47 improved varieties of tuber crops, standardized agro-techniques including viable multiple cropping system, eco-friendly protection packages, value added products and post harvesting machinery. They have been successfully transferred to farmers through front line extension efforts.

A special cover commemorating the Golden Jubilee of CTCRI was released at the inaugural function of the International Conference on Tropical Roots and Tubers for Sustainable livelihood, by Smt Sumathi Ravichandran, Director, Postal Services (BD), Kerala Circle on 9th July 2013.

Courtesy: Sreejesh Krishnan, Thiruvananthapuram.

Special Cover issued to mark 10th Anniversary of Vigilance Study Circle - 6th July 2013.

To provide a Forum for Vigilance Executives for sharing their experiences and expertise, a Vigilance Study Circle was established in Hyderabad on July 07, 2003 and was inaugurated by the Central Vigilance Commissioner. Vigilance Executives performs a vital role in promoting ethics and probity in organizations and assisting them to achieve a good image and excellence. The mission of Vigilance Study Circle is to spread Vigilance awareness and develop the knowledge and skills of Vigilance Professionals. Vigilance Study Circle celebrated its 10th Anniversary on 7th July at Hyderabad. In the celebration function Postmaster General of A.P., Vishwa Pavan Pati, released a Special Cover, commemorating VSC’s 10th Anniversary.

Courtesy: Sreejesh Krishnan, Thiruvananthapuram.

Commemorative Postage Stamp on Delhi Gymkhana Club released - 3rd July 2013

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee released a Commemorative Postage Stamp and Centenary Souvenir to mark the 100th Anniversary of the establishment of the Delhi Gymkhana Club on 3rd July 2013.

The Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club was established on 3rd July 1913 at Coronation Grounds, Delhi for use of the ruling elite comprising of officers of the Indian Civil Service, Armed Forces and Civil Residents of the then Delhi. The Lutyens Delhi was conceived during 1912-1930 and consequently, "The Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club", was allotted 27.3 acres of land in Lutyens Delhi, during 1928 when the perpetual lease was signed with the Govt. Mr. Spencer Harcourt Butler was its first President. When India gained Independence in 1947, the word "Imperial" was dropped and it was simply known as "Delhi Gymkhana Club". Sir Usha Nath was the first Indian President of the Club. The Club so far has had 52 Presidents. The present incumbent is Air Marshal Naresh Verma, AVSM, VSM. The club is located in the heart of Lutyen's New Delhi occupying 27.3 acres of prime land. As per site plan made on the drawing board by Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens as part of his grand design for Imperial Celebrations, Lutyens Delhi - the eighth in line - was built in an area littered with stones, tombs, domes, ruined walls and gardens of former Capitals - the historic cross roads and battle grounds of India. The club is primarily a sporting club and has the distinction of having 26 grass courts and 7 clay/synthetic courts with three of them flood lit.

Special Cover to mark birth centenary year of Vasantrao Phulsing Naik - 1st July 2013

Maharashtra Postal Circle issued a special cover to mark the birth centenary year of Vasantrao Phulsing Naik on 1st July 2013 at Mumbai.

Vasantrao Naik (1 July 1913 - 1979) was an Indian politician who served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1963 until 1975. Till date he remains as the longest serving chief minister of Maharashtra. Also, he had a credit to return to power after completion of full five years which could not be possible for any other chief minister in Maharashtra, He was born in Gavli, Pusad in 1913. His experience in grassroots politics made him a responsible legislator. He was a staunch supporter of Yashwantrao Chavan.

He was a Member of Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh during 1952-1957, the then bilingual Bombay State during 1957-1960 and of Maharashtra during 1960 to 1977. In 1952 he was appointed Deputy Minister for Revenue in the Government of Madhya Pradesh. He was made Minister for Cooperation in 1957 and later Minister for Agriculture in the Government of Bombay State. From 1960 to 1963 he was Minister for Revenue in Government of Maharashtra.

Courtesy: Jigar Desai, Mumbai

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