Participants of the Philately workshop in Kohima on June 22. (Morung Photo)
Philately workshop held
Our Correspondent
Kohima | June 22
The India Post, Nagaland Division today organised a philately workshop and re-launch of Deen Dayal Sparsh Yojana at Children’s Christian School, Mission Compound, Kohima.
The Children’s Christian School, Mission Compound is the first school in the state capital Kohima to form a ‘Philately Club’ and also launch the ‘Deen Dayal Sparsh Yojana’ scheme.
The objective of the scheme is to promote Philately among children at a young age. The aim of the Sparsh Yojana is to award annual scholarships to children having good academic records.
The selected students will be awarded with Rs 6000 annually, informed Joy Justin Bongcher, assistant superintendent of posts, Kohima.
Bongcher said that Philately is called the ‘king of all hobbies and hobby of kings.’ It is the study of postage stamps, postmarks, postcards and other materials relating to postal delivery.
He also informed that “The Penny Black” is the first postage stamp in the world. It was issued in the United Kingdom on May 1, 1840. ‘Scinde Dawk’ is Asia's and India’s first postage stamp. It was issued on July 1, 1852.
He encouraged the students to make collecting stamps as a hobby as collection of various stamps teaches a lot about the socio- economic political reality of the period in which the stamp was issued or the theme on which it was issued.
Sharon Losu, In-charge of Philately Nagaland said the Narendra Modi government has launched Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana, a scholarship program for school children to increase the reach of Philately in 2017 and the scheme is being re-launching to promote hobby of collecting and studying postage stamps.
She said under the scheme of SPARSH (Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude and Research in Stamps as a Hobby), annual scholarships will be awarded to students of class VI to IX having a good academic record and also pursuing Philately as a hobby.
The programme was chaired by Penlung Mannpen while Aziebu Shaiza, School Management pronounced the invocation prayer. Vote of thanks was proposed by Stephen Theyo, headmaster, Children's Christian School, Kohima.
