Errors in UNESCO World Heritage Sites Stamps India 2020

I'm posting after a long break, but hope this will be a fresh start. During yesterday's Independence Day celebration, India Post issued a set of stamps (3rd in a series) on UNESCO world heritage sites. These stamps were intended to showcase selected cultural sites that have been inscribed on the list comprising over 1000 sites from around the world. Like previous 5-6 years of crowd-sourced stamp images, photographs were submitted by public through a competition on the MyGov platform. These competitions are typically being organized 1-2 months in advance of the actual stamp issuance, always delivering half baked designs. This particular stamp issue was no exception. 

Total of five cultural sites were selected:

1. Churches and convents of Goa - Church of Bom Jesus
2. Historic city of Ahmadabad - Sarkhej Roza
3. Group of monuments at Pattadakal
4. Khajuraho group of monuments - Javari Temple
5. Qutb Minar and its monuments, Delhi

Several elements are inconsistent and incorrect with these poorly designed stamps, and I request that India Post recall this stamp issue. Firstly, there are some gross errors in the stamp images. The stamp on Churches and convents of Goa shows an image of Se Cathedral, but describes it as Church of Bom Jesus. Information and images found on the internet clearly prove this is a mistake. Also, it's Basilica of Bom Jesus, not Church of Bom Jesus. Next is the stamp on Khajuraho temples. The stamp shows and image of Vamana temple, but is described as Javari temple. The second panel below clearly shows the difference between the two temples. Again, quick searches on the internet will be enough. 

Third error is some what technical, so it may need further verification. Nomination documents for Historic city of Ahmadabad that can be found on UNESCO World heritage web site says that Sarkhej Roza is outside the nominated world heritage site property. Why was this shown on the stamp then?

Lastly, the stamps are so poorly designed. Low quality fonts were used and placements of the words are not even on all the stamps either. The stone wall shown on Khajuraho temple stamp could have been easily cropped to highlight the actual temple more. There was also no need to put Qutb Minar on a stamp again - it has already been seen on several previous postal stamps issued by India Post.

An overall disaster, this stamp issue should be immediately recalled and new images, whether crowd sourced or not, should be selected, errors rectified and printed. Not cool, India Post.

India Post Stamps 2000-2018

Update (20 Jan 2019): It had been a while since I'd updated this post, especially total number of India Post stamps etc from 2017 were still pending. Given the massive number of stamps and philatelic products, I was somewhat unsure about categorizing some of the stamps. The tally is finally complete, including last year, which was another blockbuster with 117 commemorative stamps. I've further expanded the MyStamp list to split personalize and customized/corporate MyStamp sheetlets. These products have been evolving over the last few years, and I thought it best to separate the two. If there's any confusion or clarification needed, please let me know in the comments below. Hope this list helps shed some light on the trends in India philately.

Update (06 Feb 2017): Here's an update to the count of total commemorative/MyStamps, which now includes totals from 2016 as well. There was a huge increase in the cost of stamps and sheetlets issued last year along with the introduction of customized MyStamps sheetlets. Do check lists of se-tenant stamps and MyStamps for further details.

Update (15 May 2016): Given that so many MyStamp sheetlets have been released in 2016, it was considered prudent to separate MyStamp sheetlets. Pricing for MyStamps are not fixed so, the lowest known price will be included going forward.

Original Post (29 Jan 2016): Here's a count of commemorative and special postage stamps issues by India Post from 2000 to 2015. For the reader's reference the list also shows face value of the stamps. If there are errors in the list below, just leave a comment.

Note:
1. Definitive stamps are not included.
2. MyStamps have all been issued in Sheetlet format and are included in the Sheetlet count. Each MyStamp is valued at Rs 25 because that appears to be the most common retail price for these personalized/customized stamps.
3. Each se-tenant stamp issue is counted only once (even if multiple se-tenants can be formed from a given issue). For e.g. Social & Political leaders stamp from 2000 was available in strip and block se-tenant formats, but is only counted as one.
4. Souvenir sheets and Siamese Twin issues are included in Miniature sheets as well.

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.

Papua New Guinea - India Joint Stamp Issue

Update (04 Feb 2018): Papua New Guinea stamps finally arrived in late-January. PNG Post is selling individual stamps, miniature sheet and first day covers along with stamps from India as well. I've noticed several different images of the Indian version of the stamps, mainly differences in denominations that may have been planned earlier. This joint stamp issue had been pending issuance for almost 2 years prior and it's possible that PNG Post had some old images of the Indian stamps. Anyways, see all the images below.

India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Stamp Issue (2017). The stamp designs appear to have been finalized in 2016 with various different denominations for the two stamps (Top and middle). Finally, the stamps were printed as shown above (bottom)

Papua New Guinea stamps from PNG-India Joint Stamp Issue (2017). The Bird of Paradise stamp was issued in two denominations.

Update (15 Jan 2018): As many of you may have noticed, the joint issue between Papua New Guinea and India Post was hurriedly issued on 30th December 2017. Since the stamps were already printed, it looked like India Post went ahead and put them out for sale before end of the year. I've also learned that the Indian government printed stamps for Papua New Guinea Post as well, but as of 15th Jan all the stamps haven't arrived in Port Moresby yet and that's why not made available for purchase. Stamp designs that were first reported on BetterPhilately in November 2016 have not changed and are a good set for thematic collectors as well. I'm posting an image of the Indian version below as well.

Update on 17 Dec 2016: PNG Post has posted an update on its website rescheduling the release date for this joint stamp issue to 03rd April 2017. This happens to be exactly one year after the originally planned released for April 2016. See the links below for these updates.

PNG Post - http://www.postpng.com.pg/collections/view/india-papua-new-guinea-joint-stamps

New article - http://www.thenational.com.pg/india-png-to-release-stamp/

Update on 14 Dec 2016: This joint issue is likely postponed to 2017 or indefinitely. Papua New Guinea has taken off the stamps from its pending released for 2016 and India Post has obviously not confirmed the issue date so far. Stay tuned for more on this.

Update on 24 Nov 2016: Papua New Guinea will also release individual stamps for each bird. Denomination for the peacock stamp appears to be same (K1.45), but the Bird of Paradise stamp will likely be issued in two denominations (K6.60 and K10.00). Higher denomination stamp will be on the souvenir sheet and K6.60 denomination appears to be part of the stamp set.

Original Post: India and Papua New Guinea (PNG) are likely to issue a joint stamp issue in the next few weeks. This stamp issue was originally scheduled for release in late September, but has been delayed numerous times. This stamp issue was rescheduled for release on 22nd November, but has likely been postponed again. The new release date is not known yet.

Both the countries will commemorate their relationship on two stamps by depicting the National Birds of Papua New Guinea and India; Peacock and Bird of Paradise, respectively. Artwork for the souvenir sheet from PNG Post Office can be seen below. PNG Post will also release two stamps along with the souvenir sheet. Details from India Post are still awaited.

Papua New Guinea-India: Joint Issue
PNG Post Souvenir Sheet

India Post 2016 - Stamp Releases & Designers (Archived)

ARCHIVED POST

Click on the images below to enlarge.

Update (19 Jan 2017): Here's the final update for stamps issued by India Post in 2016. This update was slightly delayed because details for many of the stamps released in late-December was still unavailable. All attempt has been made to provide accurate information, but drop a message if there are any errors or if you have any questions. The issues highlighted in yellow have relatively low print runs and it is suggested that collectors attempt to buy these and keep in their collection.

Update (17 Dec 2016): An update will be posted either in the last week of December or at the beginning of January 2017. Given that some pending issues for 2016 are yet to be released and India Post has not provided any information on the issue dates for the remainder for the stamps, it is difficult to provide accurate information.

Update (18 Sep 2016): Here's another update including India Post's stamp releases from  January to August 2016. There will likely be a barrage of stamps released in the last quarter, so keep checking the blog and our tweets to stay updated. It's been an interesting year for philately, to say the least. On a positive note, very few personality stamps were released while picking up some old stamp series like Orchids. On the other hand, limited release of stamp sheetlets and high denomination stamps have struck the wrong chord with a majority of the philatelists. Let's hope these issues get addressed soon. Until then, keep collecting.

Update (16 Jul 2016): Updating stamp releases for the first two quarters of 2016 covering January to June 2016. 

 

Update (07 May 2016): Updated stamp releases from January to April 2016.

 

Here's the list of stamp issues from January to March 2016. New additions will be made close to the end of each month. Enjoy.

O. P. Jindal stamp scheduled for release in March 2016 has been postponed.

Spelling Bee in Postage Stamps

It's been a while since the last blog post discussing errors in spelling on Indian postage stamps. Here are a couple recent ones. Both these stamp subjects were recognized in the new definitive stamp series, Makers of India. One of them, Syama Prasad Mookerjee (1901-1953) was also honored with commemorative postage stamps in 1978 and 2001. The first stamp in 1978 had English rendering of Mookerjee's name in a signature form, but the second one in 2001 showed his name typo-graphed in English and Hindi. It appears that Mookerjee's name in both the commemorative stamps is spelled similarly, but the new definitive stamp (2015) is quite different. So, now there are two variations of Syama Prasad Mookerjee's spelling. Why can't India Post use information from official documents such as Parliament records to confirm this prior to printing postage stamps? As far as the Hindi (Devanagiri) spelling goes, it is a well known tradition where the Mookerjee last name can also be replaced with Mukhopadhyaya as well. The problem here is that India Post puts this flexibility to full use. The stamp issued in 1978 and the new definitive stamp (2015) use Mukhopadhyaya, but the one from 2001 has Mookerjee on it. The Great India Post Confusion.

English renderings:
Syama Prasad Mookerjee (1978 and 2001)
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (2015)

Vernacular Hindi spellings:
Syama Prasad Mookerjee (2001)
Syama Prasad Mukhopadhyaya (1978 and 2015)

Another stamp released as part of the Makers of India definitive stamp series, is to honor Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. There have been two postage stamps released in his memory (1966 and 1988) prior to the most recent one last year (2015). The first stamp in 1966 shows Azad's name as Abul Kalam Azad, not using the Maulana title. The next one to celebrate his birth centenary in 1988 shows his name as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, but the one in 2015 changed the spelling for his title from Maulana to Moulana. This change not be a significant one, but the issue is about consistency. Firstly, India Post must try refrain from repeating stamp subjects, but if pressed, stamp designers on its artists panel should at least attempt for uniform naming convention for well known personalities, institutions or events. Here's hoping things will be better in 2016.

English renderings:

Moulana Abul Kalam Azad (2015)

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1988)

Abul Kalam Azad (1966)

Choose Your Favorite 2015 India Postage Stamp

2008 Miniature Sheet MIA?

Source: Delhi Heritage Photography Club Facebook Page

Two miniature sheets, one each in 2008 and 2009 have yet to be released by India Post. Design for one of the two miniature sheets, to commemorate the Dilwara and Ranakpur temples (2009) was recently found on a social media platform. The stamp designer, as indicated on the miniature sheet and the information brochure was Sankha Samanta. One wonders why these miniature sheets were not put for sale. Anyway, let's try figure the design for the other stamp issue, the Aldabra Giant Tortoise (2008), which was designed by Suresh Kumar.

Dilwara & Ranakpur Miniature Sheet (2008), India Post

Information Brochure. Note the quantity of miniature sheet is given, but no credits for the designer

India-Singapore Joint Issue: Two minds?

The India-Singapore Joint stamp issue was released on 24 November 2015 by the Prime Ministers of both countries after their bilateral talks. This year marks 50 years of diplomatic relationship between Singapore and India and the stamps were released to commemorate the occasion. A fitting tribute to a well established friendship. It is appreciable that the stamps have now been put on sale in both countries, but here are a few things to note:

The theme of the stamps was residence of the Presidents of both countries, i.e. Rashtrapati Bhavan (India) and Istana (Singapore), a bit mundane. There are quite a few similarities between the two cultures, especially given the Tamil-speaking population in Singapore. One could easily think of common food, festivals or even well known personalities as some other alternatives for the commemoration. Given that the Indian Rashtrapati Bhavan was only recently seen on a set of four postage stamps in 2011, a different theme would have added variety to the stamp program. Anyway, these new stamps appeared decently designed, using photographs of both the buildings.

India-Singapore Joint Stamp Issue: Change of mind? The Indian stamp was originally planned for Rs 5, later being changed to Rs 25 denomination.

The denomination of these stamps appear to be inconsistent between the two countries, but there is no official information available so this is just to state the facts. Singapore designated their local monument, Istana with the 1st local denomination and the Indian building with the higher, S$2 value. India, on the other hand did the exact opposite, giving higher denomination to its own local building. One could argue that the lower Rs 5 denominated Istana stamp in India could gain wider popularity and spread awareness about the presidential palace, and Singapore in general. India Post, it appears originally thought of keeping the Rashtrapati Bhavan stamp with lower denomination, but later changed it to the higher, Rs 25 value.

Another difference in the 'joint' issue is that although Singapore Post released a mixed commemorative sheet, making a Siamese Twin Issue, India Post does not seem to have done the same. A mixed FDC or a mixed souvenir sheet adds to the joint nature of these commemorations.

One the design front: Elements used for the Singapore commemorative sheet, first day cover and the presentation pack have no correlation with the theme of the stamps. Some previous issues like the Singapore-Thailand, Singapore-Vietnam or Singapore-Australia-New Zealand joint stamps had meaningful selvages. The stamp designers, Alka Sharma (India) and Wong Wui Kong (Singapore) were recognized by their respective postal administrations, but this being a joint issue, both artists deserve credit from both countries.

Another underlying fact with this stamp issue was the release date itself. A joint stamp release was planned since August 2014, and was most likely to occur earlier in 2015 during Presidential bilateral visits, but may not have been in ready in time for the Singapore President's visit to India in February 2015 and the Indian President's visit to Singapore is yet to occur (now planned in early 2016)! Singapore Postal Museum had even published a tentative release date for July 2015, but then moved it to the last quarter. The stamps were finally released when the Prime Ministers, not the Presidents (inhabitants of the Rashtrapati Bhavan & Istana) of India and Singapore met in November 2015. One could say, a near miss!

Paid News? An Analysis on Indian Media from 2005 to 2013

Although, no political allegiances are declared and no biases for political ideologies made known to the customers, Indian news media, both print and television are considered 'independent'. Readers most likely discover the owners' political leanings through the course of their lifetimes and have no control over the outcomes. Such is also the case with postage stamp releases by India Post in the last decade or so. Among the 20 most read newspapers in India, about half of them have had stamps released for their 'achievements' in journalism. This in itself appears to be quite a feat! Shown below are 16 postage stamps that have direct association with Indian newspapers and were released between 2005 and 2013.

Two of these newspapers, The Times of India and Malayala Manorama have also managed to get multiple stamps released for their organizations. A 'golden' stamp was released in 1988 to commemorate 150 years of The Times of India. It seemed appropriate to celebrate this milestone for a widely read newspaper, but to commemorate the same newspaper 25 years later - especially when it's publishing standards have arguably been deteriorating (some even calling it journalism that sells) - is questionable. Malayala Manorama has been the most fortunate of the lot. In the last 25 years, this newspaper has been obliged with three Indian postage stamps. The first instance appeared well deserved, when the newspaper achieved its centenary in 1988. There were two other instances when K. M. Mathew, Manorama's Editor-in-Chief was honored in 2011 and its 125 years celebration in 2013. Even if one were to consider K. M. Mathew for this honor, it would have been best to commemorate his birth centenary in 2017. 

These recent stamp issues glaringly flout the stamp issuance guidelines and appear to be a result of haphazard decision-making that provides discretionary powers to the government minister and officials. Stamp collectors and the common man deserve to know more about the process and final selections with regard to the stamp issue programs. Increased transparency, reliable research for subject development and a stamp advisory committee with more powers will go a long way to prevent this from recurrence. 

Postage stamps issues for magazines, newspapers and personalities associated with news media. The legend below tabulates the stamp issues and their associations with various newspapers.

#	Issue Description	Associated Newspaper, Etc.	Year
1	Puran Chandra Gupta	Dainik Jagaran	2013
2	Dr. Krishna Kumar Birla	Hindustan Times	2009
3	Jawaharlal Darda	Lokmat	2005
4	T. V. Ramasubbaiyer	Dinamalar	2008
5	Durga Prasad Chaudhary	Dainik Navjyoti	2012
6	Lala Jagat Narain	Punjab Kesari	2013
7	G. G. Jadhav	Pudhari	2009
8	Karpoor Chandra Kulish	Rajasthan Patrika	2012
9	Ramgopal Maheshwari	Central Chronicle-Nav Bharat	2012
10	The Tribune	The Tribune	2006
11	Doot	Gujarati Catholic Monthly	2011
12	Chitralekha / Vaju Kotak	Gujarati Weekly	2011
13	K. M. Mathew	Malayala Manorama	2011
14	Malayala Manorama	Malayala Manorama	2013
15	The Times of India	The Times of India	2013
16	Dineshnandini Dalmia*	The Times of India	2009

*Hindi author, but also married to Ram Krishna Dalmia, founder of the The Times Group that 

owns the The Times of India

#

Issue Description

Associated Newspaper, Etc.

Year

1

Puran Chandra Gupta

Dainik Jagaran

2013

2

Dr. Krishna Kumar Birla

Hindustan Times

2009

3

Jawaharlal Darda

Lokmat

2005

4

T. V. Ramasubbaiyer

Dinamalar

2008

5

Durga Prasad Chaudhary

Dainik Navjyoti

2012

6

Lala Jagat Narain

Punjab Kesari

2013

7

G. G. Jadhav

Pudhari

2009

8

Karpoor Chandra Kulish

Rajasthan Patrika

2012

9

Ramgopal Maheshwari

Central Chronicle-Nav Bharat

2012

10

The Tribune

The Tribune

2006

11

Doot

Gujarati Catholic Monthly

2011

12

Chitralekha / Vaju Kotak

Gujarati Weekly

2011

13

K. M. Mathew

Malayala Manorama

2011

14

Malayala Manorama

Malayala Manorama

2013

15

The Times of India

The Times of India

2013

16

Dineshnandini Dalmia*

The Times of India

2009

The Times of India postage stamps. Sesquicentennial celebrations in 1988 (left) and 175 years celebrations in 2013 (right)

More fortunate, Malyala Manorama. Three stamps commemorating the newspaper and its journalism. Centenary year stamp (1988; left), K. M. Mathew, Editor-in-Chief (2011; middle) and 125 years celebrations in 2013 (right).

Design Flaw - 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit 2015

A  set of six stamps were released at the concluding session of the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit held from 26 to 29th October 2015, in New Delhi. These stamps were also released in a miniature sheet format (regular miniature sheet and embossed hot foil miniature sheet). The theme - easily predictable - for the stamps was animals in India and Africa, specifically, lions, rhinos and gazelles. Full marks for the idea and the paintings as well (designed by Suresh Kumar Achari). There are a few minor issues that show a sense of urgency in designing as well as printing from SPP Hyderabad.

The first design flaw (blue arrows in the image below) appears to be the location of the stamp title, '3rd India-Africa Forum Summit' in the two gazelle stamps. The other four stamps have the title well aligned to the top of the stamps. On the same two stamps, names of the gazelles (yellow boxes), Black Buck and Thomson's Gazelle are capitalized oddly. First letters of both words, for e.g. Indian Lion and African Lion appears to be a common approach on stamps, but the second words on Black Buck and Thomson's Gazelle are not capitalized (it reads Black buck and Thomson's gazelle). The last issue is most likely due to space constraints and a personal preference (red boxes). The two Lion stamps have the country name, stamp title and the denomination, all appear on the same top alignment making the stamps overcrowded.

Suggestions to mitigate such issues:
1. Proof reading the final designs will ensure spelling errors or capitalization mistakes don't occur (read another blog post about needing a research group in the Philately Division). Re-checking the final designs will also ensure simple design errors are caught and this exercise would be aimed at ensuring consistency and a well made final product for stamp collectors.

2. A radical approach to this particular stamp issue could have been to restrict the scope of work itself. Similar to the 2011 Africa-India Forum Summit stamps, where Indian and Africa elephants were depicted in a well designed miniature sheet (designed by Kamleshwar Singh), either rhinoceros or lions could have been chosen as the theme. A limited number of stamps could have ensured maximum sale (lower costs for the philatelists) and saved a couple ideas for future commemorations (potentially even joint issues with African nations). Below is shown a cropped image of the 2015 miniature sheet with rhinos only and the 2011 stamps.

Sri Lanka - India Joint Stamp Issue or Not?

Anagarika Dharmapala was a Buddhist revivalist and a reformer from Sri Lanka. He was born in September 1864 in Colombo, growing up in a traditional Sinhala home. Anagarika founded the Mahabodhi Society in Sri Lanka with an aim to upkeep the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya. The ascetic soul worked tirelessly to spread the Buddhist philosophy until he passed away in 1933 in Sarnath, India.

Last year was the 150th birth anniversary year of Anagarika Dharmapala. Sri Lanka Post and India Post released commemorative postage stamps to celebrate the occasion. The Sri Lankan stamp was released on 17th September 2014 and the Indian stamp was released by the President of India on 24th October 2014. 

Although the stamp designs and the release dates are different, the occasion was similar. Considering that Sri Lanka also commemorated the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, it was no surprise that India and Sri Lanka cooperated for this stamp release as well. This was a reciprocal gesture between two neighboring countries. It is important that both the postal departments make a press release describing this coordinated effort for stamp release. This does seem like a joint stamp issue, just lacks a clarification from the authorities.

Half-way There?

July is about to set in with the customary long weekend celebrating the Independence Day. Just a few thoughts before crossing over to the second half of the year.

India Post: Highlights

- A set of two stamps and a miniature sheet were released to celebrate 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi's return from South Africa. Prime Minister Modi released this set of stamps in Gandhinagar during the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas. There was a different version of the miniature sheet that was designed by India Post and shared on this blog.

- Another MyStamp sheet, 'Gujarat' with three different stamp designs was released during the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Gandhinagar (January 2015). This MyStamp sheet is probably available in Gujarat only. Not sure how collectors from other regions of India can get access to this stamp sheet.

- Swachh Bharat stamps (3 stamps in individual sheets of 45 and a miniature sheet) were released on 30 Jan 2015 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's martyrdom day. There was a good bit of confusion regarding the total quantity of stamps printed and India Post has still not obliged the philatelic community with any clarification! No wonder price of a set of 3 sheets (45 stamps each design) has risen to almost threefold the cost price.

Fact Check on Swachh Bharat stamps

Total # of stamps printed - 5 lacs

Total # of stamps (each design) - 1.67 lacs

Compare this with the 1 lac stamps printed to commemorate Raj Kumar Shukla in the year 2000. If prices of Raj Kumar Shukla stamp are any indication, it would be prudent to buy a few sets before the prices go any higher.

- Look out for the India-France Joint Issue miniature sheet as well. Although the face value is relatively higher when compared with the Swachh Bharat stamps, lower print quantity (1 lac) could lead to stocks running low in the post offices.

The year has been lackluster, so far as Indian Philately is concerned. Swachh Bharat and India-France stamps did provide some excitement, but the lack of a fixed stamp program, lack of clarity for future stamp releases and an unresponsive postal department act as dampeners.

Looking forward to the stamp releases to commemorate Nabakalebara, Women empowerment, BHEL Limited and Emperor Ashoka. That's it for now.