India Post Approved & Pending Stamp Proposals

Update (23 Aug 2020): Added new updates below.

Update (02 Feb 2020): Added new updates below.

Update (07 Sep 2019): Added updates for pending, approved and recently issued stamps. 

Update (15 Jan 2019): Now showing the stamps on Greeting (2001) as issued in 2001 itself. Blog reader had pointed out, and I'm in agreement with the suggestion.

Update (05 Jan 2019): Added the list of approved stamps (2017-19) from the last PAC meeting of India Post in 2017. Many of the approved subjects were issued in 2017 and 2018, but the remaining subjects could be used for issuance in 2019 and beyond. I've included stamps on Jamshedpur and CIPET that were recently approved as well.

Original Post: I will post details for stamp subjects and proposals that have been submitted to India Post over the last two decades. This can be used as a source to track approved stamp subjects and dead issues.

Stamp Issues Approved, but Not Released
2001
Set of 4 stamps on Dances of India
Set of 4 stamps on Hitopadesha and Jataka Tales (Approved)

2005
India-Oman Joint Issue
SAARC Charter Day

2006
Himalayan Lakes – Loktak, Suraj Tal, Naini Tal
Landmark Bridges – Coronation Bridge, Kandrour Bridge, Laxman Jhula, Godavari Bridge
Pramathesh Barua

2007
Battaqh Ali Ansari

2008
Festivals of India – Kulu Dussehra
Infantry Soldier – Year of Infantry
Jammu & Kashmir Light Regiment
Maulana Atikur Rehman Alvi
Mahanamrata Brahmachari

2009
Architectural Splendor – Ujjayanta Palace, Patwon ki Haveli, Mattancherry Palace
Buddha Jayanti
Caves (Tracing Civilizations) – Bhimbetka, Barabar, Udaigiri, Nagarjuna
Children’s Fables – Vikram & Betal, Mogli, Tenali Rama, Birbal
Hill Stations (Colonial Heritage) – Gulmarg, Darjeeling, Ooty, Shimla
Endangered Species – Ganges River Dolphin, Nilgiri Tahr, Lion Tailed Macaque, Himalayan Musk Deer
Greetings – Christmas, New Year
House Boats – Kerala, Kashmir
National Gallery of Modern Art
Seasons of India
Shakti Temples – Kalighat, Meenakshi, Vaishno Devi, Kamakhya (Approved)
Unique Villages of India – Toda, Kutch
UN Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities

2012
Asiatic Black Bear and other wild animals (Set of 4 stamps)
Boats of India (Set of 4 stamps)
Flowers of India (Set of 2 stamps)
Government College, Ajmer
Railway Bridges of India (Set of 4 stamps)
Traditional Embroideries of India - Chikankari, Kutchi, Kashmiri, Phulkari, Kantha
Tribal Dwellings (Set of 4 stamps)

2013
Dr. Nilratan Sircar
India-Peru Joint Issue
South Asian Postal Union

2014
Machali, The Tigress

2016-17
Gaurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu' (Approved)
Lala Thunthee Mull
M. Balamuralikrishna
Raja Todarmal

Sant Pipaji Maharaj
Swami Karpatri Ji

Aquaculture

Birds: Endangered & Critically Endangered

Boats of India
Bridal Costumes of India

Jataka Tales

Mangalyan

Mehandi (Lawsona inermis)
Minerals of India
Palace on Wheels
Puppets

Shaktipeeth Temples

Tribes of India

Wildlife – Flora & Fauna

2018-19

Acharya Bodhihdharma & Efflorescence of Zen Culture

Acharya Konda Laxman Bapuji
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Dr. B. P. Radhakrishna
Girdharilal Bhargava

Pandit Savai Gandharva
Raja Jailal Singh
Vijaya Raje Scindia

Aga Khan Foundation
Eastern Naval Command (50 Years)
HMS Minden & HMS Trincomalee (1810-1811)
Induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mk II
University of Mysore

Pending Stamp Proposals
2017 Proposals
All India Management Association
Architectural Heritage of Pune
Bangiya Sahitya Parishad
Blue Star Limited
CMC Ludhiana
Erani Martyrs
Federation of Gujarat Industries
Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (50 years)
Guntur Municipality (150 years)
Haifa Victory
Institute of Company Secretaries of India
Madras High Court Heritage Building (125 years)
Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain
Musical Instruments (Paid by Datta Peetham)
National Commission for Women
National Housing Development Corporation
Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana (50 years)
Rann Utsav
Sangam (Prayagraj)
St. Michael High School, Patna
World Blood Donors Day
World Thalassemia Day

2018 Proposals
36th International Geological Congress (IGC)
70 Years of Olympic Hockey Gold Medal
Akhil Bharatvarshiya Jaiswal Jain Mahasabha
Dhola Sadiya Bridge of Assam
Epilepsy
Golden Jubilee of Howrah Rajdhani Express
Honey Bee
Kolkata GPO
Queen Pineapple (Tripura)

2019 Proposals
All Saint' College, Nainital (150th Anniversary)
Acharya Shanti Sagar Maharaj
Dr. Rafiuddin Ahmed
I. K. Gujral (100th Anniversary)
International Widows' Day
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (Bi-centenary)
ISRO (50th Anniversary)
Kishori Das Vajpayee
La Martiniere Girls' College, Lucknow (150th Anniversary)
M. S. Naicker
Mysore V. Doraiswamy Iyengar
Nadar Saraswathi Primary School, Theni
National Service Scheme (50th Anniversary)
Rao Jaimal Rathore
Sherwood College, Nainital (150th Anniversary)
Shivakumara Swami Ji
Thangasseri Fort, Kollam (500 Years)
Ustad Allarakha Khan (100th Anniversary)
Venkatarama Reddy (150th Anniversary)
Vikram Sarabhai (100th Anniversary)
Wazir Mohammad Hakla

Stamps Eventually Issued
2001 - Set of 2 stamps on Greetings (Issued on 18 Dec 2001)
2018 - Professor Ram Chand Paul (Issued on 06 Mar 2019)
2018 - Vedanta Desikan (Issued on 02 May 2019)
2018 - Aero India 2019 (Issued on 23 Feb 2019)
2018 - MyStamp - Accessible Elections (Karnataka CEO) (Issued on 13 Apr 2019)
2018 - Kumbh Mela 2019 (Issued on 02 Feb 2019)
2018 - Master Healers of AYUSH (Issued on 30 Aug 2019)
2018 - Central Institute of Plastics Technology and Engineering (Issued on 24 Jan 2019)
2016 - India's Participation in World War I (Issued on 20 Aug 2019)
2016 - Indian Perfumes (Issued on 01 Aug 2019)
2016-17 - Embroideries of India (Issued on 19 Dec 2019)
2018 - Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (Issued on 26 Dec 2019)
2018 - International Labor Organization (Issued on 22 Jan 2020)
2019 - The Samaja (Odia Daily) (Issued on 04 Oct 2019)
2019 - MyStamp - National Institute of Bank Management, Pune
2018 - MyStamp - 60 Years of Doordarshan (Issued on 16 Sep 2019)
2018-19 - Mathew M. Kuzhiveli (Issued on 22 Nov 2019)
2016-17 - Four Dhamas (Char Dham) (Issued on 29 Nov 2019)
2016-17 - Fragrant Stamps (Chocolate, Strawberry) (Issued on 01 Aug & 15 Oct 2019)
2016-17 - Historical Gates of India Forts (Issued on 19 Oct 2019)

2018-19 - Jamshedpur (Issued on 17 Feb 2020)

2016-17 - Musical Instruments (Issued on 25 Jun 2020)
2016-17 - Terracotta Temples of India (Issued on 08 Aug 2020)

Dead Stamp Issues
O. P. Jindal
Devaraj Urs
Jyoti Basu
Bhupesh Gupta

India Post 2020 - Stamp Releases and Designers

Coming Soon...

India Post 2019 - Stamp Releases & Designers

Coming soon...

India Post Stamp Release Updates (Jan-Jun 2020)

Coming soon...

India Post Stamp Updates (Jan-Jun 2019)

Update (02 Feb 2019): Firstly, a list of stamps being issued in 2019 can now be found at the end of this post. I will keep adding new releases down below. The year began with the stamp release on CIPET Golden Jubilee by the Vice President of India at an event in Chennai (24th Jan). The stamp was very poorly designed, and is actually worse than the one on BRBRAITT (April 2017). 

MoS Communications dedicated the stamp on Mahamati Prannath the very next day in New Delhi. Prannath Ji was a spiritual leader in the 17th century. King Chhatrasal of Bundelkhand was among his followers. His 400th birth anniversary was celebrated in October 2018 and I'm assuming due to excessive number of stamp issues last year, this was moved out to this year. I'd have liked to see a full color image on the stamp, similar to the one on Sant Eknath (2003), but the designer chose muted pastel colors instead. The next two stamp issues provided much needed relief.

Satish Gujral, a well known contemporary artist designed a stamp on Financial inclusion, which was issued by MoS Communications and the Finance Minster in the presence of Mr. Gujral on 30th Jan to celebrate 2 years of the launch of India Post Payments Bank. The stamp shows the artists' take on digital payments, and a postman delivering mail. It was a nice change from the mundane artwork of several artist that have been working with India Post for many decades.

Soon after, on 2nd Feb, MoS Communications dedicated another stamp, this time on the on-going Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. I'm yet to confirm this, but the stamp was likely designed by Kamleshwar Singh and shows several aspects of the mega religious gathering like bathing in the holy Ganga, tent city, a pontoon bridge, a railway/road bridge, pilgrims and temples. I'm hoping all of the future stamp issues will have artists use such detailed research, original artwork and thoroughness.

Commemorative stamps have been approved on Aero India 2019 (air show and expo in Bengaluru) and Professor Ram Chand Paul. I had informed collectors about the stamp on Paul in early December on Twitter. Somehow the stamp on Republic Day on nonviolence theme was not issued, and there's no clarity on the issue date. A customized MyStamp sheetlet was also issued by the Jharkhand government in mid-January showing Sohrai, a winter harvest and cattle festival.

Forthcoming Stamp Issues
20-23 Feb - Aero India 2019
28 Feb - Professor Ram Chand Paul

Update (19 Jan 2019): Some stamp issues are lining up for issuance in January. The first one appears to be on 50 Years of Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology to be released on 24th January. It will be a Rs 41 stamp in sheets and miniature sheet formats. Next day, 25th January will see the stamp on Mahamati Prannath being released. It's likely the Republic Day crowdsourced stamps will be issued soon after as well. I've included the following stamp subjects in the list below: Children's Day, Independence Day and Republic Day. Will there be a stamp on Kastruba Gandhi's 75th death anniversary in February? 

Original Post (15 January 2019): Just beginning to build out the list of approved stamp subjects for the new year. It appears than India Post is continuing to use stamp subjects that were approved a couple of years back, especially the non-personality ones to plan new released. I actually don't mind this approach because it doesn't throw many surprises and relegate approved issues to the back burner. I know several stamp designers have been working on these remaining stamp subjects, so let's hope these come to light. On the other hand, stamps on personalities have been added as the years have gone by, with no particular bias toward the ruling federal government. It has generally been an even distribution for various states and types of personalities.

I've seen some social media posts with a definitive stamp on Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Rupees 2) being sold in some post offices. This is a welcome move. The stamp was possibly released on 25th December 2018, but that's yet to be confirmed.

Do share your thoughts about stamp subjects and releases for 2019. Happy New Year!

Approved Stamp Subjects
Non-personality Stamp Issues
Aquaculture

Birds: Endangered & Critically Endangered

Boats of India
Bridal Costumes of India
Four Dhamas (Char Dham)

Fragrant Stamps (Chocolate, Strawberry, Fruits and Vegetables)
Historical Gates of Indian Forts
Indian Fashion (Series 2)

Indian Perfumes

Jataka Tales

Mangalyan

Mehandi (Lawsona inermis)
Minerals of India
Musical Instruments (Chimta, Dotara, Ektara, Khartal, Tumbi)
Palace on Wheels
Puppets

Shaktipeeth Temples (Kalighat, Kamkhya, Meenakshi, Vaishno Devi)

Terracotta Temples of India
Traditional Embroideries of India
Tribes of India
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Series 2)

Wildlife – Flora & Fauna

Aga Khan Foundation
Children's Day
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (60 Years)
Eastern Naval Command (50 Years)
HMS Minden & HMS Trincomalee (1810-1811)
Independence Day
Jallianwala Bagh Incident Centenary
Jamshedpur (India's First Industrial City)
India’s Participation in World War I
India-South Korea: Joint Stamp Issue
Induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mk II
Republic Day (Nonviolence/Ahimsa Parmo Dharma)
University of Mysore

Personalities
Acharya Bodhihdharma & Efflorescence of Zen Culture

Acharya Konda Laxman Bapuji
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Dr. B. P. Radhakrishna
Gaurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
Girdharilal Bhargava
Guru Nanak Dev (550th Prakash Utsav)
Lala Thunthee Mull
M. Balamuralikrishna
Mahatma Gandhi (150th Birth Anniversary)

Pandit Savai Gandharva
Raja Todarmal
Sant Pipaji Maharaj
Swami Karpatri Ji
Vedanta Desikan

India Post Commemorative Stamp Issues 2019
24 Jan - Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology
25 Jan - Mahamati Prannath
30 Jan - Financial Inclusion
02 Feb - Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj
19 Feb - IIT (BHU)
23 Feb - Aero India 2019
06 Mar - Ram Chand Paul
09 Mar - Kubernath Rai

India Post 2018 - Stamp Releases & Designers

Click on the images below to enlarge and right click to save.

Update (23 Jan 2019): Details for India Post stamp issues from October to December 2018 was slow to trickle in, but it appears that design and printing information is now available. Print quantity for most of the stamp issues were increased to about 0.5 million, and only a couple of them were printed in smaller quantities (0.3 million). Stocks for all the stamp issues were generally available in the post offices, except some major delays from the printer (SPP, Hyderabad). India Post appears to have realized this issue late in the year and started indenting some issues with ISP Nashik as well. I truly hope CSP Kanpur and EPP/MSP Chennai, two private printers that supplied postal stamps until 2014, will be used again. It will not only improve supplies to post offices, but will improve paper and print quality and security features as well. Both these printers have superior printing equipment than the government presses. MyStamp lists with most of the print quantities are listed below as well. I've tried to verify the print quantity and designer info, but do let me know if there are any errors. I'll be happy to update.

Update (14 Oct 2018): I've finally managed to get around posting details for commemorative stamps and MyStamps issued by India Post from January until September. India Post's philately department was posting regular updates on social media until March this year and has gone completely missing since then and that has made finding print quantities and stamp artist information much difficult. Information brochures don't reach post offices in time to gather this either. Anyways, the tables below cover most of the year, but I will likely add a couple more updates, depending on the number of stamp issues in the last quarter of this year. Until then, enjoy.

Se-tenant Stamps of India

Update (20 Jan 2019): Just wanted to update the se-tenant list of stamps to include issues from 2018. There were much fewer se-tenant stamp issues last year when compared with 2017. Two se-tenant commemorative stamps, one souvenir sheet (se-tenant of 4) and two MyStamp sheetlets with se-tenants were issued throughout the year.

Update (21 Jan 2018): I've got around to update this list as well. Last year (2017) was so huge, but this list was relatively easily compiled. There were 11 true se-tenant issues, majority of them issued as miniature sheets only. There were no separate fill panes for these stamps and thus they were considered as se-tenant stamps. Two stamps, Deekshabhoomi of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Banaras Hindu University were the only issues that were issued as se-tenant full sheets. Overall, it was a good year for se-tenant stamp collectors. Do check the formatting rules for the table below in the previous update.

Update (07 Jan 2017): An updated list of se-tenant stamps of India from 1974-2016 is being posted here. This list should serve as a basic reference for se-tenant stamp issues for Republic of India stamp collectors. Specialized se-tenant collections will need additional details, but that's beyond the scope of this blog post. A few minor changes have been made to the format of the list as well. The list is separated in a few sub-sections by the year of stamp issuance, 1970-1989 is divided by each decade (1970s, 1980s etc) and then year-wise from 1990 onward. A quick break down for the 'format' column: Se-tenant implies a pair of 2 stamps, Se-tenant of 3 or higher could be in different formats such as vertical or horizontal strips, blocks etc. All care has been taken to provide accurate information, but as always, if there are any errors, just leave a comment and it will be fixed.

A list of se-tenant stamps of India from 1974-2015 is posted here. This list should serve as a basic reference for se-tenant stamp issues for Republic of India stamp collectors. Specialized se-tenant collections will need additional details, but that's beyond the scope of this blog post. The list is separated in two main sections: 1970 to 2000 is divided by each decade (1970s, 1980s etc) and then year-wise from 2000 onward. A quick break down for the 'format' column: Se-tenant implies a pair of 2 stamps, Se-tenant of 3 or higher could be in different formats such as vertical or horizontal strips, blocks etc. All care has been taken to provide accurate information, but as always, if there are any errors, just leave a comment and it will be fixed.The total number of se-tenants should also correspond to the list in another post.

India Post Stamp Updates (Oct-Dec 2018) - Archived

ARCHIVED POST

Click here to the first half of 2018

Last Update (05 Jan 2019): This will be the final post for 2018 stamp issues. India Post delivered a surprise December with 10 stamp issues, majority in last two weeks of the month. After the stamp on Sabri Khan, the ones on Rajkumar Shukla and Gulabrao Maharaj were issued in quick succession. The stamp on Rajkumar Shukla was prematurely available since April 2018 and I'd shared images of letters posted with this stamp much earlier than the issue date on Twitter. MoS Communications dedicated the stamp on Shukla in New Delhi. A stamp was issued on Raj Kumar Shukla in 2000 as well. Print quantity of that stamp in 2000 was only 0.1 million and currently sells at a high premium. 

A stamp on philosopher and saint Gulabrao Maharaj was dedicated at a ceremony in Amravati district in Maharasthra. This stamp was approved and issued with no unexpected delays or problems. I'd shared issuance date of this stamp in late-September itself (click here).

Prime Minister of India had dedicated the National Police Memorial to the country on 21st October this year. This day is celebrated as Police Commemoration Day (Customized MyStamp was issued in Oct 2017). Within two months of inauguration of this memorial, the Prime Minister dedicated two stamps on the National Police Memorial at a Police officials conference in Kevadia Colony (where Statue of Unity is situated), Gujarat. The stamp was designed by Alka Sharma and is probably among the only decent design by this artist in the last several years.

A stamp on Paika Rebellion (Paika Bidroha) to celebrate its 200 years was issued on 24th December by the Prime Minister of India in Bhubaneswar. The bicentenary was actually completed in March 2017 itself, so the stamp issue was about 1.5 years delayed. Subir Das designed the stamp, which will likely be his last (information sheet shows his name as Late Subir Das). Alka Sharma helped design the first day cover. The stamp and FDC used images from a memorial in Odisha, and wasn't creatively the best. The stamp Vellore Mutiny (2006) was rather nicely done.

Another two personality stamps were issued last month. One on spiritual duo of the Swaminarayan-Gunatit sect of Hinduism, Kakaji and Pappaji Maharaj and the other on Maharaja Suheldev. Stamp on Kakaji and Pappaji was diamond shaped and dedicated at an event in Vadodara district, Gujarat during Kakaji's birth centenary celebrations. India Post had issued a stamp Kakaji Maharaj in March 2003 as well. This new stamp now includes Pappaji as well. India Post officials were present at the event in Gujarat. Prime Minister of India also dedicated a stamp on King Suheldev in Ghazipur (UP). Issuance of this stamp was announced by MoS Communications in February this year.

Now about the blockbuster stamp issues. It began with initiation of a new stamp series on UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. The first issue in the series was on Hill Forts of Rajasthan including Amer, Chittorgarh, Gagron, Jaisalmer, Kumbhalgarh and Ranthambore forts. Brahm Prakash designed the stamps in his classical style that uses photos of places/objects. The miniature sheet was in the stamp of UNESCO's logo, becoming the second odd-shaped sheet from India Post. The previous one was on Hockey World Cup in November 2018.

Prime Minister of India dedicated a record fourth stamp in December. This one was a set of three stamps to commemorate 75 years of first flag hoisting in Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar islands) by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The stamps were appropriately done by Sankha Samanta, depicting several details of the events that may have occurred in 1943 when Netaji visited Port Blair. The first stamp shows his arrival at the airport and receiving a guard of honor. The second stamp shows Netaji saluting the Indian flag and the third stamp has Cellular Jail as the main subject. Netaji had visited Cellular Jail in 1943 and this national monument has remained important for Indian freedom struggle. Similar to the Gandhi 150 stamp issue in October, denominations of these three stamps total to Rupees 75 symbolic of the 75th anniversary of this event. 

Yet another series of stamps appeared to have begun. This one on Indian Fashion. Suresh Kumar designed the first set of four stamps titled Indian Fashion - Through the Ages. The stamps show clothing and fashion from Harappan age to the Indian princely states. The stamps cover Harappa, Mohenjo-drao, Mauryan, Sunga, Mughal (Nur Jahan), Awadh (Ghazi-ud-din Haider) periods and Indian princely states.

The final commemorative stamps for the last year were a follow up on the Geographical Indication (GI) stamps. This set of stamps were on Handicrafts of India. All the five stamps show GI registered handicraft products. These along with the Handlooms of India stamps (August 2018) are probably among my favorite of 2018 and were designed by my favorite stamp artist, Kamleshwar Singh. Layout of these five stamp miniature sheet was identical between the Handicraft and Handloom stamps. Blue pottery of Jaipur, Palakkad Maddalam, Karnataka bronzeware, Kutch embroidery and Sikki grass products of Bihar are the five products shown on the handicraft stamps. 

Couple of other customized/corporate MyStamp sheetlets were issued as well. This wraps up another mega year in Indian philately. The year saw 117 commemorative stamps totaling to Rupees 1068 were issued. Along with these, 23 miniature sheets (Rupees 876) and 20 sheetlets (Rupees 2295) were also issue. The year saw only 5 se-tenant stamps being issued (CISF, Safdarjung Hospital, Prithviraj Chauhan, MyStamp-Andhra Tourism and MyStamp-IIT Bombay). Let me know if you need any additional information; I will try to find. Happy New Year.

India Post Commemorative Stamps in Dec 2018:
18 Dec - Rajkumar Shukla
19 Dec - Gulabrao Maharaj
22 Dec - National Police Memorial
24 Dec - Paika Rebellion
28 Dec - Kakaji & Pappaji
29 Dec - Maharaja Suheldev
29 Dec - Hill Forts of Rajasthan (UNESCO World Heritage Sites)
30 Dec - 75th Anniversary of First Flag Hoisting at Port Blair
31 Dec - Indian Fashion - Through the Ages
31 Dec - Handicrafts of India (GI Registered Handicrafts Products)

India Post Customized/Corporate MyStamp issues in Dec 2018:
15 Dec - MyStamp - Bangalore Club
18 Dec - MyStamp - SBI Hyderabad Branch (150 Years)

Update (16 Dec 2018): The typical last-minute rush to issue many stamps in December is on again. This is quite typical with India Post, when several stamps are printed, but delayed in issuance. All these stamps end up being released in December, to avoid confusion in the following year.

Toward the end of last month, a set of five stamps was issued during the Hockey world cup that is being played in Bhubaneswar (Odisha). Kamleshwar Singh did the design, which had some elements of local temples, deities etc on the miniature sheet that was shaped like an Olive Ridley turtle. It appears to be the first odd shaped miniature sheet issued by India Post. The stamps were issued by the Chief Minister of Odisha with government officials.

The first half of December did not see much activity, but many issues are planned for the remainder of the month. It began with the issuance of a stamp on Sarangi musician, Ustad Sabri Khan on 13th December by MoS Communications in New Delhi. This stamp was proposed for issuance in July-August this year, and I'd shared two stamp designs by Kamleshwar Singh back then on Twitter. One of these designs was issued as the final design.

Several MyStamps were also dedicated or put for sale in the last few weeks. Prime Minister of India issued the corporate MyStamp on 75 Years of Dainik Jagran, a news daily in Hindi in early December. Coincidentally, commemorative stamps have been issued by India Post on two previous editors (Narendra Mohan and Puran Chandra Gupta) of the newspaper and the new MyStamp shows both the editors as well. Another corporate MyStamp was issued in New Delhi on Maulana Azad Dental Institute. I recently also found a personalized MyStamp on Red Panda being sent to post offices, but I'm yet to see completed sheets out with collectors.

India Post Forthcoming Commemorative Stamps in Dec 2018:
18 Dec - Rajkumar Shukla
19 Dec - Gulabrao Maharaj
22 Dec - National Police Memorial
24 Dec - Paika Rebellion
28 Dec - Kakaji & Pappaji
29 Dec - Maharaja Suheldev
30 Dec - 75 Years of Azad Hind Government (First Flag Hoisting in Port Blair)

India Post Commemorative Stamps in Nov-Dec 2018:
28 Nov - Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 (5 designs)
13 Dec - Ustad Sabri Khan

India Post Customized MyStamps in Nov-Dec 2018:
07 Dec - MyStamp - Dainik Jagran
11 Dec - MyStamp - Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences
November - MyStamp - TNPL - Paper from Bagasse
December - MyStamp - Red Panda

Update (25 Nov 2018): It's been a quiet period last two months for new postage stamps from India Post. Barely any new stamps were issued in most of October and November. It must be a good reprieve for stamp collectors that were inundated with new stamps over the last two years. There are scored of pending stamp issues, which have been delayed or postponed. Maybe some of these will be issued in December 2018, let's see. I'm hoping a properly vetted stamp issue program is put out for 2019 and shared with collectors. In the meanwhile, here's a list of the few stamps that were released recently.

India Post Commemorative Stamps in Nov 2018:
03 Nov - 3rd Battalion The Rajputana Rifles (1818-2018)
14 Nov - Children's Day - Communal Harmony (2 designs)

India Post Customized MyStamps in Oct-Nov 2018:
29 Oct - MyStamp - World Stroke Day
11 Nov - MyStamp - Union Bank of India
Oct - MyStamp - Hyundai
Oct - MyStamp - ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad 

Update (20 Oct 2018): Apart from the circular stamps to start Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary celebrations, not much has happened in October. India's Prime Minister dedicated stamps in 7 designs showing different facets of Mahatma Gandhi's life during a sanitation event on 2nd October. These were the first ever circular stamps issued by India Post. A miniature sheet comprised of all 7 stamps (denominations of stamps symbolically total to Rupees 150) and individual sheets of 20 stamps each were issued. Similar to the Ramayana stamp issue last year, these stamps were showcased at all of India's embassies abroad. 

Many new stamp proposals and subjects have been approved for issuance, but not much has been done about fixing release dates. In response to an RTI application earlier this year, India Post had indicated a tentative release plan for several stamps, but most of that has not been followed through. Instead of issuing well designed commemorative/special stamps, a steady stream of corporate MyStamps are being issued. These customized MyStamps are quite expensive, and are less likely to be listed in stamp catalogs.

India Post Commemorative Stamps in Oct 2018:
02 Oct - 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

India Post Customized MyStamps in Sep-Oct 2018:
30 Sep - MyStamp - Dr. MGR & Selvi Jayalalithaa Memorial
04 Oct - MyStamp - Rayat Shikshan Sansthan
05 Oct - MyStamp - Narayan Seva Sansthan
12 Oct - MyStamp - National Human Rights Commission
Oct - MyStamp - Taj Connemara
Oct - MyStamp - Hyundai
Oct - MyStamp - ICMR - National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad

Update (14 Oct 2018): I'm back to add details for commemorative stamps issued in September and possibly cover MyStamps as well. The first stamp in September was issued in Bengalurur on freedon fighter Mahadevappa Mailar (1911-1943). Mailar was the only representative from Karnataka on Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March in 1930. He was shot by the British along with two others while they were attempting to loot a temple in Haveri, Karnataka. The stamp was requested to be issued by Jagadish Shettar, former CM of Karnataka and MoS Communications obliged by being present at the dedication ceremony. Even though a sheetlet of 9 stamps has been issued, it doesn't seem to be available for sale on ePostOffice or many post offices. I wonder if SPP Hyderabad is still backlogged with this product like the Solar System miniature sheet, which has been unavailable for the last 7 months.

Yet another joint stamp issue was released in September - that's fourth straight month of joint stamps this year. Joint stamps between India and Serbia were planned to be released on 9th October, but then rescheduled for issuance in early September when India's Vice President was to travel to Serbia for an official visit. The trip was postponed due to the demise of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and as a result the stamp was dedicated a bit later on 15th September when the trip finally happened. I've written a detailed post on these stamps showing Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla, which was definitely a good choice by both the postal administrations. I don't really like the miniature sheet and first day covers prepared by India Post - there's not creativity in either. Gulistaan was the credited designer.

Two other stamps - Hislop College, Nagpur and Sant Ganinath were issued later in September. Minister of Shipping and Roads was present at the ceremony in Nagpur and MoS Communications dedicated the stamp on Ganinath in his parliamentary constituency, Ghazipur. The stamp on Ganinath was decently designed, showing the sage as an incarnation of Lord Shiva, but the one on Hislop College was among the worst stamp designs in recent times. I don't really understand why such low quality work is being approved for printing. Colleges typically have buildings that can be shown on stamps, worst just the logo may suffice. Vinita Sinha, who also did the stamp on Damodar Hari Chapekar designed this dull and lackluster stamp. It's quite disappointing that even though Kamleshwar Singh and Sankha Samanta work with India Post, but are not being engaged often enough to lead the design process.

On to MyStamps now. Let me make it clear that the customized corporate MyStamp sheetlets are probably not as important to collect, but the ones that can be personalized may be good to buy. India Post has been continually put both types of MyStamps for sale over the last few months. A series of 12 sheetlets, one each for zodiac signs was made available for purchase since early July. So was a sheetlet on the Ridge in Shimla. This is the second set of MyStamp sheetlets on Zodiac signs, after the first one in 2011 issued during Indepex 2011. August saw two personalized sheetlets being issued -  one on Kurinji flower and another one on Victoria Memorial, Kolkata. Kurinji flower blooms once in 12 years, and a commemorative stamp was released on its last mass flowering in 2006. This is also the second MyStamp on Victoria Memorial after the one in 2015, albeit a new design and a larger MyStamp this time around. For some unknown reason, ePostOffice has stopped selling personalized MyStamp sheetlets and is only selling the corporate ones with pre-printed tabs.

Lastly, the least interesting, customized MyStamp sheetlets. These are the expensive stamps issued at the behest of organizations or companies by making a payment to India Post. There is very little interest in stamp collectors to buy these and Scott catalog is not listing these either. I cover them, just in case some collectors plan to complete their MyStamp collection, given this is still valid postage. July saw a new size of MyStamp being issued. It was on Christ University Bangalore's golden jubilee. The sheet still contains 12 stamps, but the stamps are much longer than the standard size. Indian Paper Traders Association got a MyStamp printed and released on Paper Day, so did Ashok Leyland, the truck manufacturer. Lilavati Hospital got two types of MyStamp sheetlets printed and issued whereas Jharkhand Government paid to get a stamp on Karma Parab, a festival in Jharkhand.

This catches up to end of September for India Post stamps. Leave me a message below if there are any questions or comments. Apart from the circular stamps on Mahatma Gandhi, there hasn't been much activity to report in October.


Update (01 Oct 2018): Here you go. I'll start describing the stamp issues chronologically as they were issued from July onward. The stamp on ICAI - the organization dealing with certified accountants was nicely designed by one of my favorite stamp artists, Kamleshwar Singh. The stamp design clearly elucidates the role of ICAI and that occasion for issuance. It was issued in New Delhi by the President of India to celebrate 70 years of the institute. Will a stamp be issued on the Company Secretary Institute's golden jubilee as well?

Next was a stamp on the 90th birth anniversary of classical singer M. L. Vasanthakumari of the Carnatic music tradition. She was one among the trinity of modern Carnatic singers - other two being M. S. Subbulakshmi and D. K. Pattammal, both were earlier seen on stamps from 2005 and 2014, respectively. Sankha Samanta designed the stamp that was issued in Chennai Music Academy by India's defense minster and MoS Communications. Carnatic musician Sudha Raghunathan led the efforts to get the stamp proposal approved and issued. I remember Ms. Raghunathan also being present at the event for M. S. Subbulakshmi stamp release event at United Nations as well. Well done, madam.

The stamp on Damodar Hari Chapekar, freedom fighter from Pune was issued by the Speaker of Lok Sabha. This stamp along with one on Rajkumar Shukla were prematurely available in some post offices and I've seen several examples of these stamps being used on cover before official issue date. Surprisingly, the stamp on Rajkumar Shukla is yet to be issued and is being freely sold on eBay. I wish the stamp on Chapekar was issued as one that included all three Chapekar brothers and not just the elder one. Their heroic fight against the British rule was a combined effort and it would've been best to recognize them together, as previously done for Murmu brothers (2002) and Pandiar brothers (2004).

The second joint with South Africa within this year was issued in Johannesburg when the Prime Minister of India was traveling for the 10th BRICS Summit. The stamp sheet celebrates the birth centenary of Nelson Mandela and 125th year of Mahatma Gandhi's Pietermarizburg Station Incident. I've posted additional details for this and other joint issues with South Africa here, but here's another point to note. India Post's souvenir sheet for this issue is the size of regular printer paper, which is almost four times the size of South African sheet. I've also noted comments on Twitter about poor paper quality used by SPP Hyderabad. I really hope miniature sheet size is reduced in the future to make them aesthetically pleasing and friendly for stamp collection albums and stock sheets.

Hepatitis B and C are the major types of hepatitis and these two infections may not show for a long period. Timely testing and treatment are required to overcome potential threats from the disease. On World Hepatitis Day (28th July), India Post launched a stamp to create awareness about a new federal government program on Viral Hepatitis Control. The stamp deigned by Suresh Kumar shows a pair of hands acting as a protection for the liver and graphics depicting treatment and hygiene in the bottom half of the stamp.

August began with a set of stamps being issued on National Handloom Day (7th August). A well designed issue, again by Kamleshwar Singh, showed five textiles/products that have Geographical Indication registrations. Textiles/products included were Baluchari saree, Kashmir Pashmina, Ikat, Pochampally and Bhagalpur silk. The dedication ceremony was held in Jaipur, where the main event for Handloom Day was held. Initially the Textile minister, MoS Communications and Rajasthan Chief Minister were to attend, but none of them showed up and instead MoS Textiles came late for a brief stopover. So much, for weavers and artists.

India Post had solicited entries for a photography competition in June and July to showcase some holiday destinations in the country. Several thousand pictures were received and a two stamps along with a miniature sheet were issued on Independence Day (15th August). Crowdsourcing for ideas including the ones on stamps has been a consistent feature of this federal government and is a welcome change. The only gripe with these stamps was the denominations being high for no apparent reason and no mention of the actual placed shown on the stamps and philatelic products.

The stamp on Patna University, which was originally planned for issuance in January/February was finally released by HRD Minister in the centenary closing event in Patna on 25th August. Brahm Prakash designed the stamp exactly the same way as the one on Banaras Hindu University stamp last year - by creating a collage of university buildings. I don't mind this style, but once was enough. Anyways, this is an important school, and the stamp was worth the wait.

Finally, the much delayed joint stamp issue with Armenia was dedicated at an event in Yerevan on 29th August. After the delay in March and June, I was informed by the HayPost staff about a late-August release, and that turned out to be true. I was surprised to see that the Armenian dance form was changed last minute and that resulted in India Post having to redo its first day cover as well. The original plan was to include Manipuri and Berd dances, but eventually Aremnia decided to go with Hov Arek instead of Berd. I've posted details for the joint stamps here, go check it out.

That covers July and August commemorative stamps. I'll post more details for September issues as well as all the MyStamps shortly.

Update (30 Sep 2018): I know its been three months since this post was last updated, but I've been busy at work; also thinking of a couple of better ways to organize future stamp subjects and the BetterPhilately wish list. So here's the path I have in mind: I will continue to share information about the current and announced issues in individual posts, but maintain a separate post for wish list and another one for stamp proposals that have been submitted to India Post and may be considered pending. I have a list of over 500 stamp proposals that were given to India Post over the last decade. These can eventually all be categorized as dead proposals or the ones that still have potential. I will start doing this within 2018. Here's a quick list of stamps that were issued from July to September. I'll come back later and add some interesting details or anecdotes for each of the issues.

India Post Commemorative Stamps in Jul-Sep 2018:
01 Jul - The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (70th Year)
03 Jul - M. L. Vasanthakumari
08 Jul - Damodar Hari Chapekar
26 Jul - India-South Africa: Joint Issue (Mahatma Gandhi & Nelson Mandela)
28 Jul - National Viral Hepatitis Control Program

07 Aug - Handlooms of India - Geographical Indication registered (5 designs)
15 Aug - Holiday Destinations in India (2 designs)
25 Aug - Patna University (1917-2017)
29 Aug - India-Armenia: Joint Issue (Manipuri and Hov Arek dances)

03 Sep - Martyr Mahadevappa Maliar
15 Sep - India-Serbia: Joint Issue (Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla)
15 Sep - Hislop College, Nagpur
23 Sep - Sant Ganinath

India Post Personalized MyStamps in Jul-Sep 2018:
07 Jul - MyStamp - Zodiac Signs (12 sheetlets)
09 Jul - MyStamp - 'The Ridge' Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
15 Aug - MyStamp - Kurinji
Aug - MyStamp - Victoria Memorial, Kolkata

India Post Customized MyStamps in Jul-Sep 2018:
11 Jul - MyStamp - Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India
01 Aug - MyStamp - Paper Day (1st August)
24 Aug - MyStamp - Lilavati Hospital (Purple background)
24 Aug - MyStamp - Lilavati Hospital (Blue background)
07 Sep - MyStamp - Ashok Leyland - Ennore Plant (70 Years)
18 Sep - MyStamp - Karma Parab

Stamps Approved for Issuance

Thematic Issues
Aquaculture

Birds: Endangered & Critically Endangered

Boats of India
Bridal Costumes of India
Four Dhamas (Char Dham)

Fragrant Stamps (Chocolate, Strawberry)
Historical Gates of Indian Forts

Indian Perfume

Jataka Tales

Mangalyan

Mehandi (Lawsona inermis)
Minerals of India
Musical Instruments (Chimta, Dotara, Ektara, Khartal, Tumbi)
Palace on Wheels
Puppets

Shaktipeeth Temples (Kalighat, Kamkhya, Meenakshi, Vaishno Devi)

Terracotta Temples of India
Traditional Embroideries of India
Tribes of India

Wildlife – Flora & Fauna

Other Issues
Aga Khan Foundation
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (60 Years)
Eastern Naval Command (50 Years)
HMS Minden & HMS Trincomalee (1810-1811)
India’s Participation in World War I
Induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mk II
University of Mysore

Personalities
Acharya Bodhihdharma & Efflorescence of Zen Culture

Acharya Konda Laxman Bapuji
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Dr. B. P. Radhakrishna
Gaurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
Girdharilal Bhargava
Lala Thunthee Mull
M. Balamuralikrishna

Pandit Savai Gandharva
Professor Ram Chand Paul
Raja Todarmal
Sant Pipaji Maharaj
Swami Karpatri Ji
Vedanta Desikan

Stamps Issued from the approved proposals
150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (02 October)
3rd Battalion Rajputana Rifles (03 November)
Children's Day - Communal Harmony (14 November)
Utkal University - 75 Years (27 November)
Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 (27 November)
Ustad Sabri Khan (13 December)
Rajkumar Shukla (18 December)
Gulabrao Maharaj (19 December)
Kakaji & Pappaji Maharaj (28 December)
Maharaja Suheldev (29 December)
Paika Rebellion (24 December)
UNESCO Heritage Sites (29 December)
Indian Fashion Industry (31 December)

United States 2018 - Stamp Releases & Designers

Click on the images to and right click to save. Print quantities of 20 million or less are highlighted in yellow.

I've not been able to post much about United States postal stamp this year. It was a busy year with some unplanned travel and work, but given the regular and detailed updates on usps.com, Linn's and APS, collectors are always able to find the relevant information, unlike India Post stamps. I'm posting print quantities and stamp artist details for all stamps issued in 2018 in the table below. I've noticed that over the last few years the number of stamps with less than 20 million print run has increased a lot, likely reflecting reduced use of stamps and mail. Surprisingly there was no postal stationary released and a butterfly stamp that was previewed last year was not issued this year either. Has that series ended? We'll have to wait to hear from the post office for more details. Let me know in the comments below if anything is missing or you'd like to see something else posted on here.

Belarus-India: Joint Stamp Issue (2017)

Belarus and India issued a joint stamp on 12th September 2017 to celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations. After the former Soviet Union was re-organized into several independent countries in 1991, India established diplomatic relations with the 15 new countries over the next couple of years. So, the 25th year of establishing these relations were celebrated in 2016-2017, including the joint stamp with Belarus i 2017 and a belated one with Armenia in late 2018 (see here). These two issues along with the one with Russia in 2017 (see here), are the three joint stamp issues with former Soviet republics that have so far been commemorated with India.

The theme for the joint stamp with Belarus was quite simple: National Symbols. Belarus has been issuing similar stamps with a host of other nations over the last few years, some joint and some unilaterally. Many recent stamps from Belarus just show national emblems from two countries and not much else. Belarus national emblem has several elements including an outline map of Belarus, partial globe showing Eurasia, partial sun emanating golden sun rays, stalks of wheat adorned by flax flowers and clovers. Remainder of the symbol is wrapped with red and green ribbons and official name of Belarus is inscribed at the bottom.

On the other hand, India's national emblem is quite simple. It contains a two dimensional adaptation of the Ashokan Lion Capital from Sarnath. The original sculpture shows four lions facing in four directions, symbolizing courage, power, confidence and pride. This resides on a circular base, which shows the Ashokan Dharma Chakra (wheel) and several animals including a horse, bull, elephant and lion. This entire sculpture is placed on a blooming lotus. The official symbol is a 2D adaptation shows a few limited features. A motto meaning Truth Alone Triumphs from the Hindu Upanishads is inscribed under the lion capital emblem.

Given Belarus Post Office has been using the same stamp format showing national symbols for the last few years, it's safe to assume Belarus designed the stamp and India Post used the same design. India Post issued the stamp in individual sheet of 45 stamps (Rupees 25 denomination) along with a miniature sheet containing one stamp. Kamleshwar Singh deigned the miniature sheet that shows the Lotus Temple in New Delhi and the National Library in Minsk. Belarus version of the stamp was issued in sheetlets of 6 stamps, with an element of embossing and red hot foil showing the National Library and Lotus Temple in the selvage. Belarus stamp was issued as minimum postage for international mail in 60,000 copies. India Post issued a total of 0.5 million stamps in individual sheets and 0.1 million souvenir sheets.

The stamps were dedicated at a ceremony in New Delhi when the President of Belarus was visiting India for an official visit.

India-Belarus: Joint Stamp Issue - Souvenir Sheet from India Post

Sheetlet from Belarus Post Office showing National Library, Misk and Lotus Temple, New Delhi

Serbia-India: Joint Stamp Issue (2018)

Updated on 22 Sep 2018: A joint stamp issue between India and Serbia was announced by Serbia Post Office as early as January this year, but India Post officials did not confirm the existence of this stamp set, despite repeated requests, until it's very issuance on 15th September. The stamp were originally planned for release on 9th October, but were later scheduled for release on 3rd September during an official trip of the Vice President of India to Serbia. Due to the national mourning period in late-August for the former Prime Minister of India Vajpayee, the dates of this trip were adjusted and changed to 15th September. So, even though these were issued a few weeks earlier than originally known, there was a minor last minute delay.

The stamp subject for the joint stamp issue is quite interesting. The Serbian side chose well known inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla and the Indian government chose the well known philosopher and spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda. On the surface this appears to be a complete mismatch; with a scientist and a religious philosopher, but Tesla and Vivekananda have something in common and shared a friendship. Serbia and India are celebrating 70 years of their diplomatic relations and 2018 is also 125th year of Swami Vivekananda's landmark speech on Hinduism during the World Religion Parliament in Chicago (1893). So, kudos to the postal administrations for this well thought commemoration.

India-Serbia: Joint Issue (2018) - Swami Vivekananda & Nikola Tesla

The stamp on Tesla was designed by Boban Savic 'Geto' of Serbia and the one on Vivekananda was done by Gulistaan, an artist working with the Indian Post Office. Stamps from the Serbia Post Office were printed in sheetlets of 4 se-tenant pairs (65,000 stamps each). In addition to the two individual stamp sheets (45 stamps each), India Post also issued a souvenir sheet comprised of the two stamps. I'm still awaiting details on the print quantity for the Indian stamps, but will add it here once available.

Serbian version of the Joint Stamp Issue with India

I've noticed several collectors wonder about the links between Tesla and Vivekananda, so it was worth looking for some information about their connection and friendship. Apparently it all began in February 1896 in New York City, when Tesla and Vivekananda met after a play by actress Sarah Bernhardt. After discussions and exchanges about Akasha, Prana and Kalpa, Swami ji and Tesla's friendship seems to have begun. Vivekananda believed that if Tesla can prove matter can be reduced to energy, the concept of Vedanta would be backed by Western science as well. Tesla continued his research to prove this, and was influenced by Vivekananda in later years, even using Sanskrit words Akasha and Prana for matter and energy, respectively. Neither Tesla was fully successful in proving this theory, nor Vivekananda was alive much longer to observe this. But, there was clear connect between the East and West and is nicely represented in these stamps.

Armenia-India Joint Stamp Issue (2018)

Update (14 Sep 2018): After so many delays and rescheduled dates, the joint stamps between Armenia and India were dedicated at a ceremony in Yerevan, Armenia on 29th August 2018. Thanks to HayPost officials, the late-August date timing that I'd shared here and on Twitter was accurate. Even though the stamp subject of dances remained, Armenia appears to have changed their dance form at the last minute. India Post first day covers that were initially printed showed Berd dance, but the final stamps show Hov Arek dance form, so the FDCs were likely reprinted. The new envelopes from India Post show some architectural elements from unknown monuments.

Armenia Post issued the stamps in a sheetlet of 5 se-tenant pairs. HayPost's website stamps.am is selling singles and sheetlets, albeit higher than face value price, which is quite surprising. FDCs have been printed, in an unknown quantity and are not available on their website. Armenian FDCs show Etchmiadzin Cathedral and Taj Mahal. India Post on the other hand printed both the stamps in individual sheets of 45 stamps each, along with a miniature sheet with both the stamps. Suresh Kumar Achari and Vahagn Mkrtchyan designed the stamps for their respective postal administrations.

The joint stamp show Manipuri dance from India and Hov Arek dance from Armenia. India Post had issued a stamp on Manipuri dance previously in 1975 as well. I don't like the font used on the Indian stamps and it'd not even mentioned about Hov Arek being an Armenian dance. Armenian stamps have better overall design, but they messed up the Indian Manipuri dance stamp by adding the background details even on the white portion of the stamp. Anyways, I truly hope no more dances are used for Indian joint stamps; this was the fifth one since 2006.

Hay Post issued 40,000 stamps of each design (280 Armenian Dram each), printed at Cartor Security Printing in France. Indian stamps were printed in SPP, Hyderabad (5 Rupees and 25 Rupees denomination), but print quantity details are still awaited - I will add it here once I get my hands on a brochure.

Indian miniature sheet showing two stamps from the Armenia-India joint stamp issue

Manipuri dance: This classical Indian group dance, also known as Jagoi originated in the North-Eastern state of Manipur and is based on Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism themes of Hindu religion. This traditional dance includes slow, lyrical and graceful movements to the tune of Pung (drum), kartal, harmonium, sembong, pena and flute. Lyrics are typically devotional songs using Jayadeva's, Vidyapati's or other medieval poets writings in Sanskrit, Braj or Maithili languages. The dance is also inspired heavily by Radha-Krishna Raas. Female dances dress like brides in Poltoi and  Kumil, which is a barrel-like skirt whereas male dancers wear dhotis.

Armenian stamps from the Armenia-India: Joint Issue (2018)

Hov Arek dance: Armenia's Hov Arek or Areq is performed using a lyrical folk song by the same name written by composer and priest Komitas. It is considered among the 100 most important songs in Armenian cultural heritage. I'm surprised at the choice of this dance, because it appears to be more of a song than a well known dance itself. In my opinion, Berd would have been a clear pick from the national dances of Armenia. Use the links below if you want to look at a couple of videos showing these dances.

Links to Youtube videos: Hov Arek and Manipuri

Update (07 Jul 2018): First day covers for the Indian version of this stamp have been printed and appear to depict Jagoi Manipuri dance from India and Berd from Armenia (like I had predicted in January this year). This issue has been delayed several times and the from the last update, HayPost Armenia indicated they are trying to get it done in August 2018. Let's see where this ends up. Looking forward to a good stamp design.

Update (21 Jan 2018): Just to be clear, the currently proposed date for issuance is 21st March 2018.

Original Post (17 Jan 2018): I've been trying to get details for the joint stamp issue between India and Armenia over the last year and a half. This stamp issue was discussed in bilateral meetings since 2016 and will likely materialize this year. I've been able to confirm from Haypost and India Post that the theme for this joint issue will be Dances. In the recent past, India has used dance as a subject for joint issues with Cyprus (2006), Mexico (2010), Portugal (2017) and Russia (2017). It would have been nice to see some more creativity from the India Post officials to find similarities between the two cultures and then select a subject. All these Indian dance forms can easily be commemorated on a separate set of stamps dedicated to Dances of India.

Diplomatic contact between Armenia and India were established in 1992 and the stamp issue will likely celebrate 25 years of this relationship. The joint stamp is currently scheduled for issuance in third week of March 2018, but I will confirm this as soon as additional information is available.

Possible Armenian Dance forms: Kochari, Berd or Trahag

Any guesses for Indian Dance forms?

India Post Stamp Updates (Jan-Sep 2018) - Archived

ARCHIVED POST

Click here for the second part.

Update (01 July 2018): This was a long break of almost two months, but I will try make up for it by sharing a ton of new information that has come through during this time. This update will be in three parts, new issues in May and June, forthcoming stamp issues and lastly some trivia.

Over the last two months, a total of seven stamps were issued, some personalities and some special commemorative stamps. In May,  two personalities from Southern India - businessman M. V. Arunachalam and socio-political leader C. Kesavan were honored with India Post stamps. Stamp on Arunchalam was issued  by the Governor of Tamil Nadu and the one on Kesavan by the Governor of Kerala. The stamp on Lions Clubs Centenary was dedicated at a simple ceremony by the Vice President of India in New Delhi. All these three stamps were decently designed, not much to talk about. Early in June, Prime Minister of India released a set of stamps in 4 designs on World Environment Day. The stamp designed by Suresh Kumar Achari depict the theme, Beat Plastic Pollution. I did not really like the stamps, but some collectors seem to appreciate the artwork. My personal preference would have been to have one stamp and the miniature sheet to extend the theme beyond the stamp. The next stamp was a joint stamp issue between India and South Africa. India's Foreign Minister visited South Africa in early June and dedicated the stamps at Pietermaritzburg Railway Station, where Mahatma Gandhi was removed from a train compartment in 1893 due to racial discrimination. Two other stamps, one on Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha and Scott Christian College were issued at events in Chennai and Nagercoil, respectively. Many more stamps are planned for issuance in the remainder of this year. Details for new stamp subjects are below.

Like I had shared information for several new stamp subjects in January this year, I'm able to report that about 15 new additional have been made to India Post's stamp program for 2018. Since you're first hearing from me, don't forget to mention BetterPhilately when you use this information on other social media platforms. I've observed that many collectors have used my lists on their profiles and websites without proper mention of BetterPhilately. No meeting of the Philatelic Advisory Committee, a body that considers and recommends stamp issuance, has been held since late 2016. Thus, giving a free reign to the Minister of Communications to approve proposals that are routinely received by the Department of Posts. I don't know specific issue dates for the new stamps, but see the list below for all the additions. The stamp on Eastern Naval Command will be of Rs 15 denomination, while the one on Kakaji-Pappaji Maharaj will cost 5 Rupees. At the bottom of this post, I've been maintaining a comprehensive list of thematic and other stamps that have been approved since 2016. The newest additions are highlighted in blue, but I will incorporate these in the regular font during the next update.

Share with fellow collectors and tell them you found it on BetterPhilately

In addition to getting these stamp subjects figured out, I've been gathering other information to share as well. The main focus was to get clarity for print quantity of commemorative stamps and Mystamps and availability of stamps in post offices. There was some confusion about the print quantity of the CISF stamps from March this year. The stamp was issued as a se-tenant, but the proponent got one of the two stamps printed in sheets with only one design. I shared the details on a tweet earlier. I also found that severe delays in printing and delivery of Indian Cuisine, ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit and Solar System stamp sheetlets from the Hyderabad printing press may have been because the printer was inundated with last minute requests and was unable to complete past orders. It took 3-4 months for these delays to go away, but if India Post wants to keep stamp collectors interested, this should not recur.

I've been trying to complete an accurate list of customized and personalized MyStamp issues as well as the print quantities. I will add the updated list under the MyStamp post soon. During this time, it was discovered that a set of 12 personalized MyStamp sheetlets on Zodiac Signs were printed and will be soon put for sale in post offices. Another few personalized MyStamp sheetlets on Shimla Ridge, Vaishno Devi temple and Pushkar Fair are not easily available and it would be ideal if ePostOffice starts selling these as well. 

India Post Commemorative Postage Stamps in May & June 2018:
15 May - M. V. Arunachalam
23 May - C. Kesavan
25 May - Lions Clubs International Association (Since 1917)
05 Jun - World Environment Day (4 designs)
07 Jun - India-South Africa: Joint Stamp Issue (Deendayal Upadhyaya & Oliver R. Tambo)
17 Jun - Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Madras (100 Years)
28 Jun - Scott Christian College, Nagercoil

India Post Customized MyStamps in May & June 2018:
13 May - Shri C. U. Shah Medical College & Hospital (Gujarat)
22 May - BSF Wives' Welfare Association (Silver Jubilee)
26 May - Avadhoota Datta Peetham, Mysuru (Vishwam Museum)

Update (05 May 2018): Here's a rundown of news on Indian postage stamps from the last few weeks. India Post has not been sharing details for new stamp issue dates, but dedicating previously unannounced stamps. I will try to gather updates for fellow collectors soon and share on Twitter or over here. In the meanwhile, if you get dates or subjects for new stamps, do leave a comment below.

The stamp on DRDO Diamond Jubilee, which was originally scheduled for issuance in early January was finally dedicated on 11th April by the Defense Minister of India at a defense exposition at Mahabalipuram, near Chennai. The stamp was well designed by Kamleshwar Singh, showing various military equipment and DRDO Bhawan on a colorful background. This and other designs by Kamleshwar Singh just goes on to show the need for India Post to use talented artists like Singh.

The next stamp issue on Goan Tiatr was planned for issuance in 2017. The stamps and a miniature sheet were printed and several images were available on the internet. The stamps were likely withdrawn as result of the misspelled word 'Tiatr' as 'Tiater'. One would have assumed the stamp design to have been updated with the correct spelling and reprinted, but India Post for unknown reasons changed the designs completely and issued the new stamps along with a miniature sheet on 17th April in Panaji. The stamp information bulletin mentions Gulistaan as the stamp designer, but I'm not sure who designed the old 2017 version. The stamp printed in 2017 captured the essence of Goan theater and key personalities of Tiatr well, but the new stamps are quite simple and unappealing. Another point to note: Unlike the ICAR-CPCRI stamps from 2017/18, the Goan Tiatr stamps printed in 2017 haven't appeared online for sale.

The Prime Minister of India dedicated a commemorative stamp on Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, a political leader from Uttar Pradesh on 25th April in New Delhi to commence the birth centenary year. This stamp was among the several stamps on personalities approved for issuance in 2018. I had shared this news early in mid-January. The stamp and FDC nicely capture important facets of Bahuguna's life including his origins in the hill state of Uttarakhand.

The last two stamps in April were previously unannounced and a damp squib from a design perspective. A se-tenant of 2 stamps was dedicated on 75 years of Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi and a souvenir sheet of 4 stamps on Prithviraj Chauhan were released by MoS Communications in Ghazipur. The two stamps on Safdarjung Hospital were designed by Anuj and Ashoo Sharma, likely associated with the hospital. The stamps show several images of the past when the hospital was started as American Hospital along with an image of the main building spread on both the stamps. I wish there was come more detailed text, and better images used for developing this stamp design. I am also not entirely sure on the need for a se-tenant stamp on a hospital in New Delhi just completing 75 years of its existence. The stamp set on Prithviraj Chauhan is even more shocking. A stamp on this warrior king from Rajasthan could be developed with great detail, but the designer Alka Sharma chose to take a bust of the ruler and place it on four stamps with different background color and denomination. Little to no effort was put in covering some other facets of the king's life or rule. That said, the souvenir sheet was much better with coins and paintings shown with a picture of Taragarh Fort taken from the internet. Hoping the next stamp issues are more intricately designed and printed.

Surprisingly no news for customized or personalized MyStamp was seen throughout April, and that was a much needed breather. I've been gathering information on several blank first day covers that are reaching various philatelic bureaus for stamp issuance this year. There are no major surprises than the subjects that are already covered at end of this post as well as what I share on Twitter. It seems possible that the joint issue with South Africa could now include Nelson Mandela as well. I had previously shared that Deendayal Upadhyaya and Oliver Tambo were two of the personalities selected for the stamp issue. Including Mahatma Gandhi cannot entirely be ruled out either, given his 150th birth anniversary celebrations will begin later this year.

I've also seen that the much awaited stamp sheetlets for the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit and the Solar System stamp issues are available for purchase in several post offices and on ePostOffice. The ASEAN-India sheetlet set contains 11 sheets with 20 stamps each (total Rs 1100) and the Solar System sheetlet set contains 8 sheets with 25-30 stamps each (total Rs 1150). All these sheets are being sold at face value, even on ePostOffice.

India Post Commemorative Postage Stamps (April 2018)
11 Apr - Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO 60 Years)
17 Apr - Goan Tiatr 125th Anniversary (Since 1892)
25 Apr - Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna
27 Apr - Safdarjung Hospital
28 Apr - Prithviraj Chauhan

Update (14 April 2018): I've been struggling to find time for adding new information, but it will get better in the next two weeks. In the meanwhile, India Post is back to thee same tardy ways of the old. Stamp issues are being scheduled with no notice, then delayed and postponed, yet again with no clear justification. Information on several forthcoming stamps was circulated on social media and I've added that information in the approved/possible list of stamp issues at the bottom of this post.

The month of March saw one large commemorative stamp, on the eight known planets of our solar system. The stamps designed by Suresh Kumar Achari were depicted in a pattern similar to the orbits and distance from the sun. It was a decently designed stamp issue, but I wish India Post had worked with ISRO to depict images of at least earth and Mars taken by Indian space missions. The United States Postal Service has issued stamps on space exploration with actual images of planets in 1991 and 2016 in coordination with NASA. Pluto had not been explored in 1991, so the stamp on Pluto was inscribed with 'not yet explored'. By the time the next stamp on Pluto was released in 2016, NASA had reached the now dwarf planet and used an actual image with an inscription - Pluto, Explored. I digressed, but thought this was an interesting anecdote. The Indian solar system stamps were apparently printed in the form of sheetlets and miniature sheets, but the sheetlets have not been made available for purchase after almost of month of issuance. Why such delay from the printer, SPP Hyderabad? Sheetlets for ASEAN India Commemorative Summit from January 2018 haven't been put for sale either. My personal recommendation is to use CSP Kanpur and EPP Madras, the two private security printers along with the SPMCIL printing presses to print postal stamps. The private printers, especially CSP Kanpur has done some amazing work with India Post in 2001-2004 period.

Several MyStamp sheetlets was also issued or made available for sale last month. Two of these issues, on Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Kumbh Prayagraj had been known to exist since late January, but were neither dedicated at a ceremony nor sold anywhere, so I'm going to consider these issued in March 2018, since they were put on ePostOffice last month. On the note of MyStamps, editors from Linns (Amos Media) that prints Scott Catalog has recently issued a note that Scott will only assign catalog numbers to personalized MyStamp issues and not for the pre-printed customized MyStamp issues that corporate, individual or organizations can obtain from India Post (minimum 5000 sheetlets). This was an important clarification, because the cost of collecting customized MyStamps is exorbitant and philatelists may not be interested in adding these to their Republic of India collection.

India Post Commemorative Stamps in March 2018
05 Mar - Biju Patnaik (1916-2016)
08 Mar - Central Industrial Security Force (2 designs)
20 Mar - The Solar System (8 designs)

India Post Customized MyStamps in March 2018
10 Mar - Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (2 designs)
23 Mar - Hyderabad International Airport
Top 12 Tourist Destinations of Andhra Pradesh (12 designs): Tirumala Temple, Kanakdurga Temple, Vijayawada; Srisailam Temple; Gandikota-Grand Canyon; R. K. Beach, Visakhapatnam; Tribal Museum, Araku; Chrandragiri Fort; Pulicat Lake; Pavithra Sangamam; Borra Caves; Amaravati; Papikondalu
Kumbh Prayagaj

Update (18 Mar 2018): It's been quite a while since the last update. I'd been busy with work and traveling as well. A few stamps were issued in the second half of February, but no surprises as such. I'd shared information on some of these stamp subjects earlier and most of those hold true.

India and Iran jointly released a pair of stamps during the visit of the President of Iran to New Delhi on 17th February. The theme for these stamps was maritime linkage showing Deendayal Kandla and Chabahar Shahid Beheshti ports, one from each country. The stamp subject was a welcome change from the oft used dance theme. The stamp on film producer B. Nagi Reddi was the second one released in February. The Vice President of India dedicated this stamp in Chennai on the 23rd February. The third and final commemorative stamp of the month was dedicated by the Prime Minister of India to celebrate the golden jubilee of Auroville, an international township near Pondicherry (Puducherry). Though the stamp design was well received, the word Jubilee was incorrectly spelled as 'Jubliee' on the actual stamps. I've been highlighting typos in Indian stamps for almost a decade now, but to no avail. India Post should implement a proof reading team within the philately department and hold the stamp designer and other staff accountable for such silly errors.

Early in March, a stamp on Biju Patnaik (5th March) and the CISF golden jubilee were also issued in Bhubaneswar and New Delhi respectively. The Biju Patnaik stamp design was pretty similar to the one issued in 1999. Brahm Prakash designed this stamp and I'm curious why the inscription 1916-2016 was necessary on the stamp released in 2018. It may be understood by some ardent followers of Biju Patnaik that his birth centenary was celebrated in 2016, but makes no sense from a design perspective. There may have been delay in realizing the political value in issuing this stamp, but the art work could have been updated to '1916-1997', showing the late leader's lifespan. Kamleshwar Singh came to India Post's rescue though. He designed a beautiful se-tenant of stamps on the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that was issued on 8th March during the 49th raising day celebration in New Delhi. It's among some of the best stamp designs issued in the recent past.

A couple of MyStamp sheetlets were also issued in the last few weeks. The first one on Kalinga Institute of Technology was issued in Bhubaneswar and another one the famous Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai was also put on sale sometime in February. I'm surprised with the Mumbai temple MyStamp issuance because when I tried to purchase this sheetlet in Mumbai in the last week of February, the staff at Mumbai GPO was unaware of its sale. Hopefully it will be made available for purchase soon.

India Post Commemorative Stamps in February 2018
17 Feb - India-Iran Joint Issue (Deendayal Kandla & Chabahar Ports)
23 Feb - B. Nagi Reddi
25 Feb - Auroville International Township (Golden Jubilee)

India Post MyStamps in February 2018
16 Feb - Kalinga Institute of Technology (KIIT)
Shree Siddhivinayak Ganesh Temple, Prabhadevi, Mumbai

Update (11 Feb 2018): The first month of the new year was fairly decent. India Post issued five stamps in January, several thematic/commemorative stamps and one personality. Most of these stamps were dedicated in the last week of January. The first one was a joint issue between India and Vietnam, which was dedicated in New Delhi on 25th January by India Post and Vietnam Post officials. I've already posted a separate post (click here to read) for this joint issue, which showed Buddhist monuments from both countries. That same day, India's Prime Minister along with Heads of State/Government from 10 ASEAN countries dedicated a set of stamps with 11 designs during the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit 2018 in New Delhi. I am planning to write a separate blog post for this stamp issue, which was prepared by one of my favorite stamp designers, Sankha Samanta. The next stamp issue on Potter's Wheel was put on sale on ePostOffice on 26th January. This stamp issue, as has been the trend for last several years was crowdsourced. These stamps were issued in two designs with a miniature sheet. 

Even though some of the stamps were properly designed, majority of the stamp stocks haven't yet made it to the post offices. India Post's ePostOffice has been selling some of the stamps, but first day covers and brochures have seen excessive delays. Delivery of online stamp orders from ePostOffice is also slowing down, with most packets taking 4-5 weeks to reach collectors. India Post boasts of a huge network of transport and postal carriers, and if ePostOffice has to show improved growth, both the website and the actual delivery time needs to be significantly improved.

The final stamp in January on Dr. Talimeren Ao was simultaneously dedicated in Guwahati (Assam) and Kohima (Nagaland) on 28th January by the Governors of both the state. Dr. Talimeren Ao, born in 1918 was India's soccer team captain in 1948 London Olympics and a civil surgeon.

I've been able to confirm one of the MyStamp sheetlets on Akshar Deri, Gondal of Swaminarayan organization, but not the others. If any of you come across other MyStamp sheetlets listed below, let me know. I will wait for release events or special covers etc. to finalize the issue dates for these MyStamp sheetlets.

India Post Commemorative Stamps in January 2018:
08 Jan - ICAR-CPCRI (2 designs)
25 Jan - India-Vietnam Joint Issue (Sanchi Stupa & Pho Minh Pagoda)
25 Jan - ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit 2018 (11 designs)
26 Jan - Potter's Wheel (Republic Day 2018; 2 designs)
28 Jan - Dr. Talimeren Ao

India Post MyStamps in January 2018:
22 Jan - MyStamp - Akshar Deri, Gondal
MyStamp - Andhra Pradesh Tourism
MyStamp - Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai
MyStamp - Kumbh Prayagraj

Update (20 Jan 2018): Like I'd said in the last update, I can share details for personalities that will be honored with India Post stamps in 2018. Some of these are carry over from 2016-17 and I'm hoping these get issued finally. Some other details, especially for joint issue stamps are evolving fast. It's likely that joint issue stamps with Armenia, Vietnam and Serbia will be issued this year along with South Africa. I may end up writing a new blog post to track all joint issues with India. For now, I've updated the lists below. There are three ways I'm tracking stamp subjects - approved stamp issues, possible stamps and BetterPhilately wish list. 

The next stamp issues will likely be around the Republic Day on 26th January, which is when the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit is also being held. Heads of State/Government from all 10 ASEAN countries are visiting India as chief guests for the Republic Day parade, an honor reserved for close friends of the Indian State. A set of 10-11 stamps, showing cultural connect with each country will be issued. I made a list of some things that link India with the ASEAN countries (click here to see on Twitter). It's possible that these could be depicted on the stamps, let's see.

I've also been reading on social media that the joint issue with Vietnam will be dedicated sometime next week as well. Like you may have seen, I've already confirmed the proposed date for the Armenia-India joint issue as 21st March 2018 with a theme of dances in another blog post. Serbia also announced that a joint issue with India will be issued on 09th October.

Update (16 Jan 2018): I've been sharing details for stamp subjects on the blog and on Twitter, which can be used from 2017-2022 to develop a good issue program. Some of the subjects are nearing their anniversary events and will likely be commemorated with postal stamps. Take a look at the list below. I will soon share additional details for some personalities that are likely to be on India Post stamps this year as well. Like always, do mention BetterPhilately in conversations on social media using #BetterPhila.

Possible India Post stamp issues (2018).

Update (15 Jan 2018): We are still waiting on details for stamps to be issued in 2018, but the year began with the first release on 08th January. Last year, two stamps viz. ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute and Goa Tiatr (125th anniversary) were printed, but never put for sale. It appeared that India Post took cognizance of the typos on both the stamps. Like I had pointed out on the Twitter feed, ICAR-CPCRI stamp had an error in the Hindi acronym of ICAR, and the Goan Tiatr stamp spelled 'Tiatr' incorrectly as 'Tiater'. The ICAR-CPCRI stamp was re-printed with minor design changes and issued in Kasargod earlier this month. The Union Cabinet Minister for Statistics and Program Implementation was present along with postal officials and institute staff. The interesting piece is that copies of the old stamp (with 2017 year printed) are being sold for $40 or Rupees 7500 on eBay. I wonder how many of these old stamps slipped out illegally. I've posted images of both the 2017 and 2018 stamps below.

In other news, it appears that a stamp (possibly, on Ramayana) will be issued on 25th January, during the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in New Delhi. India and South East Asian countries have a lot of common cultural aspect, Ramayana being one of them.

Possible Stamp Issues
Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) - 60 Years
India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit (Ramayana)

ICAR-CPCRI (Central Plantation Crops Research Institute) - New stamp from 2018 (above) and the old print from 2017 (below). There are minor design differences in the two sheets.

Original Post (27 Dec 2017): I will start posting details for possible stamp issues and other updates for 2018 in a few weeks, but I'm carrying over several stamp subjects that were either or approved or considered for issuance and could be released in 2018. Let me know if you have other details to share with fellow stamp collectors. Happy New Year!

BetterPhilately Wish List

Amritlal Nagar

B. D. Jatti

Balasaheb Thackarey

Balasheb Deoras

Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Chinmayananda Saraswati

Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy

Eknath Ranade

Gopal Swarup Pathak

Guru Nanak Dev - 550th Parkash Utsav
I. K. Gujral

J. Jayalalithaa

K. R. Narayanan

Khushabhau Thakre

Laxmanrao Inamdar
Mohammad Hidayatullah

N. Sanjeeva Reddy

Nelson Mandela
P. V. Narasimha Rao

Shivmangal Singh Suman

Siyaram Sharan Gupt

Srimant Sankardev
Swami Abhedananda

Swami Karpatri

V. P. Singh

19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche
Air Force Marshal Arjan Singh
Amrita Pritam
B. K. S. Iyengar
Chandrakant Patel
Dhanraj Bhagat
L. L. Narayan
Maharani Gayatri Devi
Maharshi Mahesh Yogi
Maniram Dewan
Queen Heo Hwang-ok (Korean queen from Ayodhya)
Ramamand Sagar
Sikander Bakht
Sudhir Phadke
Vinda Karandikar

100 Years of Kheda Movement
100 Years of Sabarmati Ashram
150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
50 Years of Commercial Nuclear Power - Tarapur
Bhagvadgita
Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
Bose Institute
Dayalbagh
Gir Wildlife Sanctuary
High Court of Punjab & Haryana Centenary
International Film Festival of India (Golden Jubilee)
Joint Issue Stamps with India: Bulgaria, Serbia, South Korea & UN
Jyotirlinga Temples
ISRO - Golden Jubilee (Magalyaan and Chandrayan)
Osmania University, Hyderabard (100 Years) - MyStamp
Rajkumar School, Rajkot
Ravenshaw University, Cuttack (150 Years) - MyStamp
Sherwood College, Nainital
The Maihar Band (100 Years)
The Yoga Institute, Mumbai (100 Years)

Stamps Approved for Issuance
Thematic Issues
Aquaculture

Birds: Endangered & Critically Endangered

Boats of India
Bridal Costumes of India
Four Dhamas (Char Dham)

Fragrant Stamps (Chocolate, Strawberry)
Historical Gates of Indian Forts

India’s Participation in World War I

Indian Fashion Industry

Indian Perfume
Jataka Tales

Mangalyan

Mehandi (Lawsona inermis)
Minerals of India
Musical Instruments (Chimta, Dotara, Ektara, Khartal, Tumbi)
Palace on Wheels
Puppets

Shaktipeeth Temples (Kalighat, Kamkhya, Meenakshi, Vaishno Devi)

Terracotta Temples of India
Traditional Embroideries of India
Tribes of India

UNESCO Heritage Sites
Wildlife – Flora & Fauna

Other Issues
Aga Khan  Foundation
Children's Day - Communal Harmony
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (60 Years)
Eastern Naval Command (50 Years)
HMS Minden & HMS Trincomalee (1810-1811)

Induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mk II
Paika Rebellion (200 Years)
University of Mysore

Personalities

Acharya Bodhihdharma & Efflorescence of Zen Culture
Acharya Konda Laxman Bapuji
Dr. B. P. Radhakrishna
Gaurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
Girdharilal Bhargava
Kakaji & Pappaji Maharaj
Lala Thunthee Mull
Maharaja Suheldev

M. Balamuralikrishna
Rajkumar Shukla
Raja Todarmal
Sabri Khan Sahib
Sant Pipaji Maharaj
Vedanta Desikan

Stamps from Approved List or BetterPhilately List issued in 2018
Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (ICAR)
India-Vietnam: Joint Issue
ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit 2018
Dr. Talimeren Ao
Republic Day (Potter's Wheel)
Auroville (Golden Jubilee)
B. Nagi Reddi
CISF - Central Industrial Security Force
Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO)
Solar System
Goan Tiatr
Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna
M. V. Arunachalam
C. Kesavan
Lions Clubs International Centenary
India-South Africa: Joint Issue (Deendayal Upadhyaya & Oliver R. Tambo)
Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha
M. L. Vasanthakumari
Chapekar Brothers (Damodar Hari Chapakar)
MyStamp - Shilma Ridge
MyStamp - Zodiac Signs (12 designs)
Indian Handloom Production (Geographical Indicators registered)
Mahadevappa Mailara
Patna University (1917-2017)
India-Armenia: Joint Issue
Independence Day - Holiday Destinations in India
Hislop College, Nagpur
Sant Ganinath