• The following message has been received from the Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru : - "All over the world today, the fifteenth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is being observed. It is a day of remembrance, thanksgiving and dedication: remembrance of those who gave their all so what others may live in freedom; thanksgiving for the progress achieved in emancipation of millions from foreign subjection and exploitation, and dedication to continue the struggle until all mankind is freed from 'fear and want. The Human Rights Day this year is invested with special poignancy in the context of martyrdom of John F. Kennedy, the great President of United States of America Probably the most impressive fact of modern life is the breath-taking pace of development of science and technology. But all this progress is meaningful only if it leads to the general welfare of humanity and secures to each individual the fullest opportunities for development according to his genius. This is possible only if his rights and role in the society are properly understood, protected and promoted. The Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed and adopted by the United Nations fifteen years ago aims precisely at achieving this objective, that is, of promoting universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedom for all without discrimination as to religion, race, sex or language. IF oppression, conflict and war have darkened the pages of history, it is primarily because of 'man's inhumanity to man', because of disregard of and contempt for the rights and dignity of others. In order to banish for ever these evil forces which are a blot upon the civilization and which now threaten to wipe it out altogether, it is necessary to remove all manifestations of racial arrogance, political domination and economic injustice and abuse. Real peace can not be achieved on the basis of a precarious balance of mutual terror but only on the basis of genuine co-operation in promoting a social order which protects the rights and dignity of the individual consistent with social progress and international understanding."

• Dr. Dadabhai  Naoroji  was born at Navsari in Gujarat State on 4-9-1825 and died on 30-6-1917 at the ripe old age of ninety-two. Popularly known as the "Grand Old man of India", Dadabhai Naoraji belonged to a very poor family. He lost his father early in the life and it was left to his mother to bring him up.
• As a child, Dadabhai  showed signs of a remarkably keen intelligence and in the course of a brilliant academic career he won a number of scholarships which helped him to take up higher studies in College. His prowess in Mathematics attracted the attention of his professor, who offered to meet part of his expenses for further education in England. Straitened circumstances, however, prevented Dadabhai Naoroji  from availing of this offer and he had to take up employment to earn his livelihood. In 1855 he sailed for England and worked there for a time with a firm. India was just then passing through the turmoil of the 1857 Revolution. A patriot at heart. Dadabhai Naoroji decided to return home and enlist in the service of his motherland.
• His  later career in India and abroad was crowned with a series of successes. He became one of the founders of the Indian National Congress and presided over its Lahore Session in the year 1893. He was elected a Member of the British Parliament in the year 1992 - the first Indian to attain this high distinction. A gifted Parliamentarian, Dadabhai  Naoroji very at heavy represented India's case for responsible government before the elected representatives of Great Britain. A great scholar and gifted writer, Naoroji brought out a number of publications on social, educational and political
• Though he was the most well-known Indian of his day, Dadabhai Naoroji led a very simple life. Mahatma Gandhi respected him and sought his advice as long as he was alive.

• Suryakant Tripathi Nirala', one of the greatest Hindi poets of all times, was born on February 16, 1896. His father, Ram Sahai Tripathi, held double charge under the then King of Mahishadal in Bengal as a Police Officer and keeper of the State Treasury. His mother died when he was hardly 3 years old.
• Nirala' had his formal education only up to the 10th standard. However, he had already developed a great interest in Bengali, English, Sanskrit and Hindi literatures, thanks to the rich Royal Library Mahishadal. He also excelled in singing, wrestling, shooting and writing. It was during his adolescence that he was introduced to the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore who inspired him to be a poet.
• Nirala' was married at the age of 15. His wife, Manohara Devi, was a great lover of Hindi and it was partly due to her inspiration that "Nirala' started writing poetry in Hindi. Nirala had a son andaughter  the latter's death at the young age of 18 moved him to write one of the greatest elegies in Hindi poetry - Saroj Smriti. 'Nirala's wife died in 1918.
• Nirala' was an independent man with a high sense of self-respect. He could not continue for long in Mahishadal and got interested in the teachings of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa as well as the National  Movement for Independence and the struggles of farmers and workers. He resigned from his job in 1920 and decided to live on writing alone.
• Nirala' had started writing in 1916 and already had such a finished poem as Juhi Ki Kali behind him. His first collection of verse Anamika was published in 1922. He was offered the editorship of the Matwala in 1923 which he edited with rare zeal and insight. It was then that he started writing under the nom de plume "Nirala .
• The concept of 'free verse' or blank verse was almost unknown in Hindi till then. 'Nirala' broke the bonds of rhyme and metre and in the face of almost universal antagonism championed the case of free verse in Hindi. He was ridiculed, boycotted and condemned for this, but he had such indomitable courage of his conviction that he lived to see free verse firmly established in Hindi. It would, however, be erroneous to suppose that he could not write in rhyme or metre. Many of his best poems follow the rules of traditional poetry as well. "Nirala' was a restless spirit and he shifted from Calcutta to Varanasi and went back to his ancestral village Garhrakola. From there he went on to edit the Sudha at Lucknow and mature works like Geetika, Tulsidas (poetry), Alka and Apsara (novels) were written  here. He left Lucknow in 1940 and staying briefly at Unnao, Allahabad and Varanasi, finally settled down in Allahabad.
• Though 'Nirala' is known primarily as a poet, he has few rivals in the field of prose. In his novels like Billesurebakariha and short stories like Chaturi Chamar and Sukul ki Bibi, he write struggling men and women of India in a style that is bereft of ornamentation and is extremely powerful in its stark directness. 
• Nirala's life was one of tragedies, struggle and chronic poverty. The poet in him refused to bow before any individual. 'Nirala' remained a fighter throughout his life and had to pay a heavy psychological price for it. He died in Allahabad on October 15, 1961. While he was often on the verge of penury, he would give away whatever money he had and even clothes, to the poor around him.        

• Among the great personages who shaped the destiny of the Indian struggle for freedom, Chittaranjan Das ranks as one of the most outstanding and prominent patriots who sacrificed his all for the country's cause. "If I die in this work of winning freedom, I believe I shall be born in this country again and again, live for it, hope for it, work for it with all the energy of my life, with all the love of my nature till I see the fulfilment of my hope and the realisation of this idea", said the patriot whom his countrymen rightly called "Deshbandhu.
• Born on 5th November 1870, C. R. Das had his early education in the London Missionary Society Institution, Bhowanipur, and graduated in 1890 from the Presidency College, Calcutta. He then proceeded to England where he joined the Middle Temple and was called to the bar in 1892. He returned to India in 1893 and enrolled himself at the bar of the Calcutta High Court. During his early years as a lawyer he was intimately associated as a budding poet with Rabindranath Tagore. After a series of sensational criminal cases in which he appeared to use his vast knowledge of British law for the defenec  of patriots and the advancement of the cause of India's freedom, the most famous of which was the case in which he defended Shri Aurobindo Ghose accused in the Alipore Bomb Conspiracy case, and his success in a number of civil cases, particularly the Dumraon adoption case, his reputation as a brilliant lawyer was established. A great legal luminary of his time, he used his acumen and ability in defending patriotic causes. He gave up his lucrative practice which was fetching him a princely income while at the height of his profession in order to throw his weight fully into the freedom struggle. Although revolutionary in his ideas, he was opposed to violence and was a staunch votary of constitutional methods. A founder of the Swaraj party within the freedom movement, he advocated fighting the British Raj from within the council chambers. True to his own statement "If I live, I live for Swaraj, if I die, I die for Swaraj", Chittaranjan Das thought, dreamt, talked and worked for the freedom of India and nothing else till the very day of his untimely death on 16th June 1925.
• A brilliant barrister, poet, journalist and philanthropist, Chittaranjan Das's claim to greatness lies more than anything else on his ardent patriotism. "Man truly reveals himself through his gift, and the best gift that Chittaranjan has left for his countrymen is not any particular political or social programme, but the creative force of a great aspiration that has taken a deathless form in the sacrifice which his life represented' said Rabindranath Tagore.
• In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "Chittaranjan Das was one of the greatest men ......one of the jewels among the servants of India. His service and his sacrifice were matchless. May their memory ever remain with us and may his example inspire us to noble efforts."

• The gifted mind of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar would have shone forth in any epoch and in any society. He came on the Indian scene when the tide of socio-political revolution was sweeping the land and he took it at the flood. The accident of his birth as an 'untouchable gave a touch of poetic justice to the role he played during India's transition from a colony to a republic.

• Ambedkar was born in a Mahar family on April 14, 1891 at M how. His father was a Subedar in the Mahar Regiment. As a child he was vary studious and painstaking having realised at an early age that a sound education was the only means of bettering his lot. He said later, 'nobody can remove our grievances, as well as we can'. After graduation, he went on a scholarship to the Columbia University at the age of 22. A thesis on Provincial Finance in British India which earned him a Doctorate in Philosophy capped his academic career at Columbia. He pursued his studies in Economics and Law at London and was eventually called to the Bar from Gray's Inn.

• He returned to India in 1923 and started a campaign to remove the disabilities from which the Harijans were suffering. Politically, he stood for a united self-governing community of Indians with special constitutional safeguards for the depressed classes. He was a socialist, but socialism meant little to him without religious and social equality.

• Though it might have often appeared that Dr. Ambedkar took extreme positions on social and political matters, it is a tribute to his patriotism and erudition that Independent India decided to make use of his talents to consolidate the gains of freedom. As Minister of Law and Chairman of the Drafting Committee, Dr. Ambedkar played a leading part in the framing of the Indian Constitution. An authority on Constitutional Law, his influence on politics, social reform, education and religion has been fundamental.

• Vallabhbhai Patel was born on October 31, 1875 at Nadiad in a typical peasant family of Gujarat. He grew up as the fourth in a family of six children. As a boy, he went to the local school, but could also plough the land straight and deep.' Like his brother, Vallabhbhai, he chose the legal profession, but practiced independently as a successful district pleader till 1910, when he left for England to qualify as a barrister-at-law. Married at 16, he lost his wife when he was barely 33, after she had born him a daughter and a son.
• On return from England, he built up a flourishing practice at Ahmedabad as a criminal lawyer. It so happened that Gandhi, who returned from South Africa in 1915, was invited to preside over the Godhra Session of the Gujarat provincial , in 1917. all Vallabhbhai Patel was its Secretary. The two men met never to part again. Sardar Patel was elected President of the Ahmedabad Municipality in 1924 by which time he had given up his lucrative practice at the bar to devote his entire time to public service. He galvanised the Gujarat provincial Congress Committee into a powerful unit of the National Congress, to which he was from then on, a tower of strength.  He was elected President of the Congress at the Karachi Session in 1931. He suffered incarceration on several occasions and spent long years in prison fighting for the freedom of the country. His health broke down but his spirit remained undaunted and when India became independent he tackled the many problems which beset the country with tremendous energy and zeal. Indeed he proved to be one of the most outstanding statesmen of the century. He died in harness as he Home Minister of free India on December 15, 1950.
• The ideal of a free, strong, united India ever remained a consuming passion with this practical realist. A man of unbending will, his thought and action revolved round the life and example of Mahatma Gandhi. A powerful organizer and an unerring judge of men, he never failed to inspire confidence in the people. Of inflexible purpose and endowed with a statesmanlike clarity of thought, he had a way with matters of the State. If he had an iron hand he used it to hammer out a new nation, to restore peace and to strengthen unity His indomitable will was born out of intense self-discipline. Forthright and fearless, he always knew his mind. Above all, he was a man of action without whom the history of Modern India might well have been different.
• His finest hour was when he accomplished the integration of the Indian States with the Union. For him, integration meant not only accession by the rulers but also transfer of their power to the people. India has been unified as never before, and the saga of this achievement has passed into history.
• His country was his first love and in the words of his daughter, 'To the last, he was thinking of the nation. For all the toughness of his spirit and the rock-like firmness of his decision, one could yet say:
• His life was gentle, and the elements So mixed In him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world. This was a man'.

• "One in kind, one in faith,

        The above inscription on one of the walls of his Ashram epitomizes the philosophy and a way of living which Narayana Guru has expounded throughout his teachings.

• Narayan, who came to be later known as Narayana Guru was born in a village near Trivandrum in the year 1855. His parents were simple village folk devoid of any ostentation and far removed from the sordid life of the more well to do. The sensitive spirit of Narayana Guru was nurtured in this gentle and human atmosphere. The neatness of a scholar went with him from his earliest days. The boy lost his mother when he was only 15 years of age. Soon after completing his education, he disappeared into the mountainous regions near Cape Comorin (presently, known as Kanyakumari) and lived in caves, practising the most intense introspection in search of Truth. As his personality matured, he emerged from seclusion as a spiritual teacher whose words came to be listened to with great reverence, as an echo of the ancient wisdom of the Orient. For 15 years he now travelled incessantly attempting to bestow wisdom and light on the people of the country. He helped them to have cleaner habits. He introduced and set an example in better diet. He gave an impetus to right moral standards. He pointed the right road to reform and prosperity and to see clearly through maladjusted emotions and he left behind his thoughts and teachings in the form of verses and writings for posterity to learn and follow.
• His teachings embodied an integrated way of thinking having a direct bearing on individual or collective human happiness with the primary role of enabling men to discover universal human values. The quintessence of his teachings was that, human interests, whether collective or individual had their common center  in the self. The self was the secret key to all human values. The same theme has been expounded from the time of Protagoras twenty-four centuries ago who held that "Man is the measure of all things". Contemplative self-knowledge through reflection, according to Narayana Guru, was the culminating science which resolved this theme and religion had to be logically understood as seeking to better man's relations with his fellows, endeavouring to raise him truly to a higher status as "Man". Religion, therefore, could not afford to be exclusive, neither should it tend to be orthodox or even heterodox and it was immaterial in matters of everyday life what creed a man professed as long as he did not transgress the bounds of common human goodness. Thus, he expressed himself :"'Whichever the religion, It suffices If it makes a better man".
•  Narayana Guru's teachings called for a meditative approach for a better human life and understanding as against sophistry, hair-splitting doctrines, eristic arguments or vain disputations. His life was in every detail an example of the principle which he enunciated : -
• "Acts that one performs for one's own sake, Should also aim the good of other men". at one performs for one's own sake, Should also aim the good of other men".
• Narayana Guru entered Maha Samadhi or the great silence on the 20th September, 1928. Through his way of living and his teachings, he set in motion a force for the regeneration of  his  fellow  country  countrymen.

• A versatile genius, a dynamic leader of the scientific community and an ardent patriot, Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha was born in 1909. After studying at Bombay, he joined Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and took his B.A. and later, his Ph.D. degree from there. He had a brilliant academic record, securing his Honours Degree with a First Class in Mechanical Science as well as in Mathematics. He won the Rouse Ball Travelling Studentship in Mathematics. For his original contribution to Physics in cosmic radiation, the theory of elementary particles and the quantum theory, Bhabha was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society at the extraordinarily early age of thirty-one. He won the Adams Prize and the Hopkins Prize, was elected President of the Indian Science Congress in 1951, awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1954, and elected honorary Fellow of his own College at Cambridge and of a number of Academies of Arts and Sciences all over  the world.

• Through his initiative was founded in 1945 the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, of which he was the first Director. From 1948, he was the Chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission in 1954 he was appointed Secretary to the Government of  India in the Department of Atomic Energy, and in 1957 he became the Director of the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay, which the Government of India has re-named in his honour the BHABHA ATOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE.  

• Dr. Bhabha not only made an outstanding contribution, which brought him world-wide recognition, to research in the new and exciting field of nuclear physics;  he was also an accomplished artist and musician, a brilliant administrator who dedicated himself to the cause of a developing country taking its place among the fully developed nations of the world by attaining prosperity through the development of its science and technology. He was indeed, responsible for India's attaining the status of being one of the six leading countries in the field of atomic energy. The dream, for the fulfilment of which he devoted his entire life and energy was to project the image of India as one of the leading, scientifically and technologically advanced countries of the world.

• His zeal and untiring efforts towards the attainment of this goal was a continuing source of inspiration to the young band of devated scientists who embarked under his dynamic leadership on the thrilling adventure of atomic energy research, which holds great promise for mankind, if developed for peaceful uses-a cause ever close to his heart. He was  responsible in a large measure for the great increase in the scientific efforts in the world towards the application of atomic energy to peaceful purposes ,for his voice was heard with respect not only in India ,but all over the world.

• Mahavir Prasad Dvivedi was born on May 15, 1864 in the village of Daulatpur in Uttar Pradesh. He learnt Urdu and Persian at the village school, and pursued at home the study of Sanskrit and Hindi. He had his English education at Rae Bareli. 
• The circumstances of his boyhood were hard and challenging and during this phase he developed the qualities of tolerance, self-reliance and determination. He joined the Railways, but left the service soon for the domain of language and literature, his first love. As a literary critic and writer of Hindi prose and poetry he had a powerful impact on nascent Hindi literature. He freed Hindi poetry from the restrictive influence of Brij Bhasha imparting to it the easy, fluent and lucid style, which it had lacked Gill then. He edited for about twenty years the monthly journal of the Nagri Prachari Sabha, 'Saraswati'. In his time Hindi journalism came of age and Saraswati' became the guiding star of the literary elite. Later poets and writers like Maithili Saran Gupta, Kashi Prasad Jayawal and Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi drew inspiration from Acharya Dvivedi. He ushered in the modern school of literary criticism in Hindi, which was to be developed later by Pandit Ram Chandra Shukla .
• There is hardly any field of Hindi literature which Acharya Dvivedi has not enriched by his contribution. His essays on a wide variety of subjects are of abiding value. His Hindi translations of Sanskrit dassics like Kumar asambhava, Raghuvamsa and the Mahabharata created literary history. He also translated into Hindi Bacon's essays and Spencer's philosophical works. His prose writings run into aver three scores of books. Blazing a trail in modern Hindi literature, he laid the foundation for its future growth. He passed away on December 29, 1938.

• Pandit Govind Ballabhai Pant inherited many traits from the Himalayas whose child he was. His towering personality, his incisive mind, his indomitable will and the dignity of his bearing, all these had something of the Himalayas about there . But behind the formidable exterior was an intensely human individual, kind and warm, generous and forgiving patient and loyal .
• These remarkable qualities, coupled with an intense patriotism and love for the common man, offer a key to the transformation of a simple village child into one of the foremost leaders of modern India. He was born on September 10, 1887 in Khunt, a tiny village in District Almora, U.P. and brought up in an atmosphere far removed from the currents of national resurgence. He had a brilliant academic career, which he rounded off with a LL.B .degree from the Allahabad University in 1909.He joined the Bar at Naini Tal the same year and soon built up a flourishing practice. He, however, abandoned it in answer to Mahatma Gandhi's inspiring call for non-violent, non-cooperation and plunged into active politics in the early twenties. He became a Member of the LLP. Legislative Council in 1923 and was elected President of the U.P. Congress Committee in 1927. A year later he was active in organising demonstrations against the Simon Commission and received serious injuries in a police lathi charge. During the early thirties he was twice imprisoned for participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• He became a member of the Congress Working Committee in 1931 and continued to be its member almost uninterruptedly till his death. In 1934 he was elected a Member of the Central Legislative Assembly and also became Deputy Leader of the Congress Party. 
• When the Congress accepted office in the provinces in 1937, he was elected leader of the Congress Party .in the U.P. Assembly and formed the first Congress Ministry. Eve during the short tenure of the Ministry he put through much needed reforms, which greatly benefited the common man. The individual satyagraha movement found him in prison dance again in 1940. Hardly had he come out of prison when he was again detained in connection with the Quit India Movement in August, 1942.
• After his release in 1945, Pandit Pant played a leading role in conducting negotiations with the British on behalf of the Congress on the question of India's independence. Pantji was re-elected to the U.P. Assembly in 1946 and was again called upon to head the Government of the State. He served as the Chief Minister of U.P. for an unbroken period of eight years. It was under his inspiring stewardship that notable administrative, educational and agrarian reforms, including the abolition of the Zamindari System, were launched.  In December, 1954 he was called upon to join the Union Cabinet as Home Minister. 
• As Union Home Minister, he showed great skill in handling the intricate and difficult task of States reorganisation and in securing a broad consensus in favour of the official language policy. He took special interest in Kashmir Affairs. As Chairman of the Zonal Councils, he created a forum for hammering out differences between neighbouring States and for co-ordinating development schemes on a zonal basis. He was an outstanding parliamentary figure of his day. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1959.
• Pt Pant lives forever in the hearts of the Indian people whom he served with all his energy and dedication right till his last breath.

• The chronicles of time are replete with instances of men having left their mark on posterity by virtue of the great power that they wielded or the numerous kingdoms and territories they conquered. It is occasionally that we get a glimpse of a man in the pages of history who is remembered and honoured not on account of his acquisition and wealth but for his adherence to moral principles in the face of heavy odds, a man who on purpose preferred a life of struggle and hardship for the preservation of the cherished ideals of freedom and liberty to that of a life of ease and security by succumbing in alien rule. Such one person was Maharana Pratap - a great warrior of liberty, a devoted lover of noble causes and an outstanding example of the highest moral character. His very name personifies chivalry, complete dedication to the cause of liberty and the highest principles of nobility and self Sacrifice.
• Maharana Pratap was born on the 9th May 1540 A.D. On his father's death he succeeded to the throne of Mewar on the 28 February 1572 A.D. But the Ghadi' that he inherited was not a bed of roses. Akbar had already embarked on a mission to crush Me war and Chitor was already in his hands. Pratap considered that unless he also acknowledged Akbar as his suzerain, he would have to fight a long and bitter war. owever he valued liberty and independence more than anything else and therefore chose the alternative of deadly struggle against the Mughal might rather than sacrificing his honour. In grim eamestness he set himself to the task. He infused courage and enthusiasm into his men and stirred them from their repose to stand shoulder to shoulder for a causa noble to the traditions of the Rajputs. Akbar sent a number of missions to bring Rana Pratap to his fold. Pratap welcomed them but refused to recognised the emperor as his sovereign. He spurned comfort and prepared himself for the worst kind of suffering. Akbar there upan sent a well  organised army to subdue the Maharana. Maharana Pratap gave fierce battle at Haldighati. Being heavily outnumbered he ultimately left the field saving himself from being captured or slain. Maharana Pratap subsequently reorganised his forces and continued his struggle against the Mughals. The repeated attempts of the Mughal commanders were foiled by the Rajputs under him ultimately bringing much misery and sufferings on the invaders. For twenty-five years Maharana pratap played an important role on the political stage and represented with remarkable fidelity, the views of the great majority of his subjects .Maharana Pratap passed away on the 19th January 1597 A.D. His death did more than close an epoch, it removed from the stage of Rajput politics a most attractive and striking personality. His name is immortal in the history of our land as a great soldier of liberty who concentrated his attention on the moral aspect of the struggle.

• Born in 1780 AD, Maharaja Ranjit Singh has been rightly called the founder and architect of secularism in India. His father, Mohan Singh, a petty chieftain, died when Ranjit Singh was hardly eleven years old. 

• He had to face a herculean task from the very beginning and to take the sword at a very young age. The country was tom by internal dissensions and jealousy. Hostile eyes were looking greedily at the Punjab and it was left to Ranjit Singh to protect it from its many enemies. By sheer dint of courage, sagacity and wisdom, he rallied a disunited people, roused them to a supreme effort and made them masters of the land. Himself literate, educated by the milieu in the art of practical warfare, he carved out a great kingdom in northern India.

• Maharaja Ranjit Singh raised a most powerful fighting force and, for the first time in a thousand years of Indian history, brought the traditional invaders of India to their knees. Not only this, he pushed up his realm to Jamrud and defeated the Pathans in their own territory so that he could command the entrance to the Khyber Pass. In the history of the world it would be hard to find another ruler who never took life in cold blood yet built up such a large empire. His reign was free from any acts of cruelty and appression. His success was mainly due to his ability to arouse the nascent sense of nationalism amongst his people and make them conscious that more important than being Muslim, Hindu or Sikh was the fact of belonging to one's country. Considerations of caste are  creed never weighed with him and he metedout justice impartially to all his subjects, regardless of their religious affiliations. Due recognition was given to ability and loyalty and thus he was assured of the assistance of a band of highly capable and devoted lieutenants. Among his officers and courtiers, the Prime Minister was a Hindu, the Foreign Minister a Muslim, and there were other high dignitaries from different communities. Maharaja Ranjit Singh never adopted the theory of the Divine Right of Kings, never gave himself any high-sounding titles and never claimed any supernatural powers. He picked out men like jewels and cherished them.

•  Maharaja Ranjit Singh passed away at Lahore in June, 1839.He has left an indelible mark on the pages of history. He was a great soldier and statesman - one of the greatest that India has produced in her long history.

• Text: Base on material furnished  by the sponsors .

• Kunwar Singh was one of the leading figures of the Indian Movement of 1857-59. A scion of Rajput nobility he was born in Jagdishpur in the Shahabad District of Bihar about 1777 and was destined to die a hero in the Great Rising of 1857. When India rose against British authority in 1857, Babu Kunwar Singh was already past his prime being nearly eighty years old. Despite his age and failing health, when the call to fight came, the old lion plunged into the thick of it and for nearly a year battled against the British forces with grim determination and undaunted courage.

• The part which Kunwar Singh played in the First War of Independence marks a glorious chapter in the chequered history of this country. After harrying the British at the head of a devoted band of followers for nearly a year Kunwar Singh was forced to retreat to his ancient seat at Jagdishpur. It is believed that while crossing the Ganga on his way to Jagdishpur he was wounded in the arm by the pursuing forces and the old warrior severed the injured limb and flung it into the Ganga as his last offering. Soon after he fought his last battle near Jagdishpur on the 23rd April, 1858 in which the British forces were completely routed. Kunwar Singh passed away the next day.

• Kambar occupies a pre-eminent position in Tamil literature. He is indeed one of the brightest stars in the literary firmament of South India. 
• Very little is known about his life.  It is, however, generally agreed that he lived and wrote in the ninth century A.D. in the Chola Kingdom during the period of the Tamil renaissance  It is believed that he was born at Therizhandur, near Mayuram in the Tanjore district of the the present Madras Slate. He flourished under the patronage of a rich philanthropist and adomed the courts of the Tamil Kingdoms of his time. From an humble beginning he attained undying fame through his poetic genius.
•  Kambar's renown rests on his monumental Tamil epic, the Kamba Ramayana. It is essentially the story of Rama retold in Tamil. Though the theme is the same as that of the original work of Valmiki in Sanskrit, it acquires in Kambar's hands quite a new artistic beauty and grandeur of denouement. It is indeed a work of gifted and inspired genius, a masterpiece of rare skill, beauty and insight, .....not merely a version but a distinctive creation of personal and national genius."

•  Children's Day has acquired a special significance for us in this country as it falls on the 14th of November, which also happens to be birth anniversary of our late Prime Minister.

• Gandhiji's Dream : India of My Dreams
• I shall work for an India, in which the poorest shall feel that it is their country in whose making they have an effective voice : an India in which there shall be no high class or low class of people : an India in which all communities shall live in perfect harmony. There can be no room in such an India for the curse of untouchability, or the curse of intoxicating drinks and drugs. Women will enjoy the same rights as men. Since we shall be at peace with all the rest of the world, neither exploiting, nor being exploited, we should have the smallest army imaginable. All interests not in conflict with the interests of the dumb millions will be scrupulously respected, whether foreign or indigenous. Personally, I hate distinction between foreign and indigenous. This is the India of my dreams.
• I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any. Mine is not a religion of the prison house
• If we are to make progress, we must not repeat history but make new history. We must add to the inheritance left by our ancestors. If we may make new discoveries and inventions in the phenomenal world, must we declare our bankruptcy in the spiritual domain? Is it impossible to multiply the exceptions, so as to make them the rule? Must men always be brute first and man after, if at all?
• In ages to come, centuries and may be millenniums after us, people will think of this generation when this man of God trod the earth and will think of us who, however small, could also follow his path and probably tread on that holy ground where his feet had been ..."- Jawahar Lal Nehru
• Generations to come ... will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." - Albert Einstein
• The world has lost its greatest figure - perhaps history too, has lost its greatest figure. I pray that India may act according to the spirit of Mr. Gandhi and not that of his assassin and that the whole world  will catch his spirit and shall move towards the peace which Mr. Gandhi loved." -Fenner Brockway, ."... Love, for Gandhi, was a potent instrument for social and collective transformation. It was in this   Gandhian emphasis on love and non-violence that I discovered the method for social reform that I had been seeking for so many months ..."- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)
• There is no doubt Gandhi had great spiritual qualities and the one only hope, even though he is not with his people, is that his influence will grow to help them through the years. ... One hopes the very violence of his death will turn people away from violence which certainly bring none any good at the present time." - Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt 
• To us Gandhi was one of the saints on the earth; one of the few brave men standing for what he believed is right ..." - Mr. Peari S. Buck

• Gandhiji's Dream : India of My Dreams
•  I shall work for an India, in which the poorest shall feel that it is their country in whose making they have an effective voice : an India in which there shall be no high class or low class of people: an India in which all communities shall live in perfect harmony. There can be no room in such an India for the curse of untouchability, or the curse of intoxicating drinks and drugs. Women will enjoy the same rights as men. Since we shall be at peace with all the rest of the world, neither exploiting, nor being exploited, we should have the smallest army imaginable. All interests not in conflict with the interests of the dumb millions will be scrupulously respected, whether foreign or indigenous. Personally, I hate distinction between foreign and indigenous. This is the India of my dreams.
• I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse be blown off my feet by any. Mine is not a religion of the prison house. If we are to make progress, we must not repeat history but make new history. We must add to the in her it an left by our ancestors. If we may make new discoveries and inventions in the phenomenal world, must we declare our bankruptcy in the spiritual domain? Is it impossible to multiply the exceptions, so as to make them the rule? Must men always be brute first and man after, if at all?
• In ages to come, centuries and may be millenniums after us, people will think of this generation when this man of God trod the earth and will think of us who, however small, could also follow his path and probably tread on that holy ground where his feet had been ..."- Jawahar Lal Nehru.
• Generations to come ...will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."- Albert Einstein .
• The world has lost its greatest figure - perhaps history too, has lost its greatest figure. I pray that India may act according to the spirit of Mr. Gandhi and not that of his assassin and that the whole world will catch his spirit and shall move towards the peace which Mr. Gandhi loved." -Fenner Brockway,
• Love, for Gandhi, was a potent instrument for social and collective transformation. It was in this Gandhian emphasis on love and non-violence that I discovered the method for social reform that I had been seeking for so many months..."- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr) . 
• There is no doubt Gandhi had great spiritual qualities and the one only hope, even though he is not with his people, is that his influence will grow to help them through the years... One hopes the very colence of his death will turn people away from violence which certainly bring none any good at the present time."- Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt.
• " To us Gandhi was one of the saints on the earth; one of the few brave men standing for what he believed is right ..." - Mr. Peari S. Buck.

The purpose of the Children's Day is to remind all adults of their responsibility towards children.The Children's Day in India is celebrated on the 14 November - the birthday of late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. 

The theme for this year as suggested by the International Union for Child Welfare is "Children and Peace with the sub-title "How programmes for children contribute to the world's peace". Programmes that meet the needs of children at every stage of their development are the best possible contribution to the world's peace. he children of today are the citizens of tomorrow and with them lies the future of mankind. healthy and happy children are our strongest foundation.

S. Radhakrishnan

Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi-4 

January 18, 1988. 

We are still recovering from the shock of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri's sudden passing away. He worked for freedom all his life and died in the cause of peace. Gentle, strong in inner resources and wise, he belongs to the great tradition of Indian leadership. He led India through a time of trial and enabled it to emerge stronger. He upheld and furthered the basic ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. The commemorative stamp that the Posts & Telegraphs Department is issuing is a token of the high place Lal Bahadurji will occupy in our hearts and in the history of our land.

- Indira Gandhi 1.

Safdarjang Road, New Delhi 

January 21, 1968 

- Satya Narayan Sinha

Minister of Communications and Parliamentary Affairs 

New Delhi 

The Gazette of India 

Extraordinary

PART I-Section 1.

New Delhi, Thursday, January 13, 1966/Pausa 23, 1887

President's Secretariat

Notification 

New Delhi, the 13th January 1966

 No. 2-Pres 68. -The sudden demise at Tashkent of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri in the early hours of Tuesday, the 11th January, 1986, has plunged the nation into deep distress and grief. Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri went to Tashkent in the cause of peace and it is a great tragedy that just when his persistent efforts towards a settlement for an honour able and enduring peace in this sub-continent achieved fruition, fate delivered a cruel blow and removed him from our midst.

Born in 1904, at Mughalsaral in Uttar Pradesh, Lal Bahadur Shastri lost his father while he was still an infant How this infant, born in a modest environment, rose to the higher political office in this country, is an inspiring saga of noble endeavour, unwavering sincerity of purpose, and a high sense of patriatism and integrity in public life.

 Lal Bahadur Shastri was only 17 years old when the call came from Mahatma Gandhi and without hesitation he plunged himself in the freedom struggle. He was soon imprisoned. On release he entered the Kushi Vidyapeeth at Varanasi and came under the influence of the savant, Dr. Bhagwan Das .He took the Shastri degree from the Vidyapeeth and re-entered active politics.

At the age of 23, Lal Bahadur Shastri was married to Shrimati Lalita Devi, who has always stood by him as a steadfast companion to the very end of his life of sacrifice and devotion to the Nation.

In 1952, when the first general elections were held in India after the attainment of independence, Lal Bahadur Shastri was entrusted by the Congress party with the task of organising the election campaign, the great success which the party secured at the polls in these elections was in no small measure due to his organising capacity.

Lal Bahadur Shastri became a member of the Rajya Sabha in the first session of Parliament. He was appointed Union Minister for Transport and Railways in 1952. Four years later, he resigned his ministership, because he felt he was constitutionally responsible for a railway accident in which many lives had been lost. This was symbolic of his staunch faith in and sincere endeavour to live up to the highest traditions of parliamentary democracy. Expressing his deep appreciation of this step in Parliament, the late Prime Minister Nehru described Lal Bahadur Shastri as a man of the highest integrity with devotion to high ideals.

The call to assume the responsibility of a high public office came to Lal Bahadur Shastri again in 1957, when he was elected to the Lok Sabha and was assigned the portfolio of Transport and Communications in the Union Cabinet. In March 1958, he became Minister for Commerce and Industry. Later, on the death of Shri Gobind Ballabh Pant, in April 1961, the important portfolio of Home Affairs was entrusted to him. As Minister for Home Affairs, Lal Bahadur Shastri brought into play his gifts as an able administrator, and he handled a number of complex and intricate political and administrative problems.

• Poet, bhakta, apostle of Aryan culture, Narsinha Mehta voiced the new impulse of Bhakti in Gujarat. About the beginning of the seventeenth century his fame as bhakta spread over all the provinces of India. His life and works fired popular imagination and he had soon become the centre of a new mythology of Bhakti.
• Narsinha was born in the village of Talaja near Junagadh. He lost his father at an early age. He associated with itinerant sadhus and was introduced by them to the mysteries of Bhakti peculiar to Vrindavan. He composed padas or bhajans, mainly devotional but sometimes philosophic or ethical. The bulk of his works consists of about 740 padas collected under the name of 'Sringaramala', the "Rosary of Love". These padas have given to the men and women of Gujarat a glimmer of romance, of love and of the joy of life Expressive in nobility and teaching eloquence his padas are a living source of faith and inspiration. His vedantism is highly practical and when the 'dheds' or sweepers invited him to sing his bhajans he agreed to go, 'where distinctions come in, God departs. To the eyes of the dispassionate, all are equal.'
• The legacy of rich and varied vocabulary and language of great power and beauty which he left exercised a great influence on literature. His padas cast in the slow-moving and elastic prabhatia metre generally reserved for early morning prayers moulded the language and sentiments of succeeding generations. He broke away from the lifeless literary traditions of his days and changed Gujarati poetry from an impersonal to a personal art. Mahatma Gandhi had made one of his famous verses as the hymn of his life.

• The passing away of Jawaharlal Nehru marks the end of an epoch in the life of our nation. Yet the ideals for which he worked and the values for which he stood will abide for all time to come. We find ourselves today overwhelmed with grief and a sense of loss. But we would not be true to his memory if we give ourselves to despair and uncertainty. Let us keep alive his torch, which he lit for the freedom and progress of the country, and unswervingly follow the path, which he has lighted for us. May his memory remain evergreen with us - an inspiration for achieving the goal, which he has set before the country and the people. He did not fail us; let us not fail him." (Message by S. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister House, New Delhi, 9th June, 1964).
• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehruji's memory will be cherished by a grateful world as long as humanity lives. But we whom he has left desolate strive to seek solace to fill the aching void. It is for this that we think in terms of tangible steps like memorials and monuments to remain ourselves of what he lived for and to feel some nearness to him again. This commemorative stamp is such humble tribute to his memory. But his real memorial will be if we carry on his work as he would have wanted us to do, and so conduct ourselves that we would have been proud of us." (Message by Lal Bahadur Shastri, Communication and Law Minister of India, New Delhi, 7.6.1964).
• The Posts and Telegraphs Department offers its homage to our great leader on his passing away. The stamp, which we are bringing out, is a humble effort to remind us and the world that death cannot part a leader from his people with whom destiny had bound him imperishably and whose life, therefore, remains inextricably inter-woven into their texture. Death has snapped his mortal bonds but his spirit will ever guide us through our long and arduous journey towards the goal he left for us. We shall be worthy of being his followers only if we keep his torch aflame by our work and devotion for the cause, which was so dear to him." (A. K. Sen, Registered No. D221 The Gazette of India, Extraordinary Part 1 Section 1 Published by Authority No. 70, New Delhi, Friday, May 29, 1964, Jyaishtha 8, 1836. Separate paging is given to this part in order that it may be filed as a separate compilation. President Secretariat Notification, New Delhi, the 29th May 1964. No. 43-Pres./64
• The passing away of India's beloved leader and Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on May 27, 1964, has plunged the whole nation into the profoundest grief. The country has suffered its greatest lost since the death of the Father of the nation. Jawaharlal Nehru belonged to the whole of mankind, as he belonged to the people of India and the world today mourns the departure of this great figure. A valiant fighter for the people of India, all his life, Jawaharlal Nehru was the chief architect of modern India. His entire life was dedicated not only to the ideals of national freedom, unity and solidarity but equally to those of world peace and progress. Born at Allahabad, on November 14, 1889, Jawaharlal Nehru was the son of Pandit Motilal Nehru, an eminent lawyer and one of India's greatest patriots. At the age of 15, he went to England and after two years at Harrow, studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was later called to the Bar from the Inner Temple and he returned to India in 1912. Destiny has not intended him to confine himself to the legal profession and he was drawn irresistibly towards the movement of India's freedom. His meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1916 was the coming together of two great sources and was to prove to be a landmark in Jawaharlal Nehru's life. In the same year he was married to Kamala Kaul, who stood by him throughout all the joys and tribulations of his life until her early death in 1936, leaving behind her only child and daughter Indira.
• After the epochal meeting with Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and his whole family were plunged in the main stream of the freedom struggle. In 1918, he was elected Secretary of Home Rule League, Allahabad, and became a member of the all India Congress Committee of which he remained a member for the rest of his life. He was soon assisting Deshabandhu Chittaranjan Das in the enquiries into the repression that followed the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy in Punjab and by 1920 he was in close contact with the problems and aspirations of the Indian peasantry, beginning with the Kissan Agitation in Eastern U.P. In 1921 came the first of the many occasions on which he courted arrest by refusing to obey orders he considered unjust. In 1923, he was arrested for disobeying orders to leave the then state of Nabha. Thus began his special association with the freedom struggle in the Indian State. In 1927, began his long association with the International democratic movements with his participation in the Congress of Oppressed Nationalists in Brussels as an official delegate of the Indian National Congress, which he followed up with an extensive tour of Europe and his first visit to the U.S.S.R. In 1929 he was elected President of the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress.
• The national struggle entered a new and significant phase when on the sacred banks of the Ravi the Congress took the pledge on the historic day of December 31, 1929, of complete independence as it's goal. The thirties saw Jawaharlal Nehru become the acknowledge heir to Mahatma Gandhi in between recurrent spells of incarceration and despite his preoccupations with national problems he found time also to participate in the struggle against the onslaughts of fascism in different parts of the world. He lent courageous support to the republican forces in Spain and visited the country during turbulent days. His was one of the resounding voices in the years preceding the holocaust of the Second World War, warning the democratic forces all over the world against its coming menace. The failure of the then Government of India to give the Indian people a meaningful opportunity to participate in the world struggle against fascism inexorably led to a conflict. The historic "Quit India" Resolution was passed by the All India Congress Committee at Bombay on August 9, 1942, and immediately thereafter Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders were imprisoned. On their release three after negotiations with the British Government began and Jawaharlal Nehru took office as Vice-President of the Executive Council when the Interim Government of India was formed on September 2, 1946. The constituent assembly met on December 9 in the same year. Events followed in rapid successions leading to the partition of India. On August 15, 1947, India and Pakistan came into being as two separate countries. On that solemn midnight when India became free Jawaharlal Nehru declared "Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure but very substantially
• To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make an appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure. We have to build the noble mansion of a free India where all her children may dwell"
• In these seventeen years, he had to beer many a grievous shock and none greater than assassination of the Father of The Nation on January 30, 1948. Jawaharlal Nehru rallied the nation.

• As the years passed Jawaharlal Nehru lost many a trusted lieutenant and comrade in arms, undeterred he strove to build the India of his dreams. His world vision remained undimmed. He convened the Asian Relations Conferences in March, 1947 and was it's moving spirit. In 1954 he enunciated the Panch Shila, the five principles of peaceful coexistence. There were other International Conferences leading to the Bandung Conference in 1955. He gave the world the Doctrine of non-alignment, which was affirmed at the summit meeting of the non-aligned nations in Belgrade in 1961. Jawaharlal Nehru was dedicated to the ideals of the United Nations and the principles of the Charter. He addressed the third General Assembly session in Paris in 1948. His last appearance at the United Nations was in the year 1960. There he moved to a significant resolution stressing the need for world peace and urging the leaders of the great powers to renew their contacts. He was the first head of Government to support the partial test-ban pact signed by the three Nuclear Powers in August, 1963. He strove tirelessly against war and for total disarmament. He initialized and supported action for the liberation of dependent countries. He fought against the exploitation of man by a man and worked ceaselessly to bring freedom from fear a hunger not only to his own people but to the world at large. He set his face against all political and military blocs as the greatest impediments to world peace. Not the least abiding of Jawaharlal Nehru's contributions was his concept of a revolution in our national economy through planning within a democratic framework. Even before India had attained freedom, he foresaw the need for economic planning and was instrumental in setting up the National Planning Committee under the aegis of The Indian National Congress as early as in 1936. When freedom came, the earlier efforts bore fruit. The planning commission was setup and in 1951, India embarked upon her historic series of five-year plans. The acceptance of Economic Planning as a way of life by many new free nations is an eloquent tribute to his basic social and economic thinking. Jawaharlal Nehru was unremitting in his endeavour for the unity and solidarity of the Indian Nation. He struggled ceaselessly to blend the different elements of our national life into an integrated social structure. He fought against all the barriers of cast, religion and language and for the uplift of the less privileged. He constantly affirmed the secular concept of our State as necessary for all sections of the people to live together in peace and harmony.
• Jawaharlal Nehru was a distinguished man of letters. He utilised his spells in prison to write "Autobiography, "Letters from a father to his daughter", "Glimpses of World History" and "Discovery of India" which have found a permanent place in literature. Such was the man who led this country for so many decades and administrated it so wisely for eighteen years-an upholders of the noble values of human life and dignity of man. There could be no finer epitaph for Jawaharlal Nehru than that which he himself suggested in a pensive mood, with characteristic humility -"If any people choose to think of me then, I should like them to say 'This was a man who with all his mind and heart loved India and Indian people. And they in turn, were indulgent to him and gave all their love most abundantly and extravagantly'' That loving memory the Indian people, and indeed, the people of world, will always cherish for Jawaharlal. For as Rabindranath Tagore said, "he had never fought shy of truth when it was dangerous, nor made alliance with falsehood when it would be convenient."

• Raja Rammohun Roy occupies a distinguished place among the builders of modern India. In the words of Miss Collectt, his English biographer -"Rammohun stands in history as a bridge over which India marches from her unmeasured past to her incalculable future. He was the arch which spanned the gulf that yawned between superstition and science, between despotism and democracy, between immobile custom and a conservative progress, between a bewildering polytheism and a pure, if vaque, theism."
•  Rammohun Roy was born on May 22, 1772 in an orthodox Brahmin family at Radhanagar in the Hooghly District of Bengal. He was a precocious child and possessed an inquisitive and philosophical tent of mind. In addition to his native Bengal he became a scholar in Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic quite early in life and was deeply versed in Indian thought and philosophy.
• Fifteen years before Rammohun Ray's birth, Britain had won the Battle of Plassey in 1757, and since then British power was expanding slowly al over India. The coming of the British to India, brought with it a new culture, the western culture, in our midst. Rammohun Ray's curious and adventurous spirit led him to find out what their cultural roots were He learnt English and, not being content, he studied Greek Hebrew and Latin to discover the sources of the religion and culture of the West.
• It was his vast learning and deep understanding of the cultures and religions of the East as well as the West that prompted him to establish the Brahmo Samaj whose approach to religion was indeed, very cosmopolitan. In his thirties he wrote a treatise in Persian entitled “Tuhaft U-Muwahhidin" (A Gift to Monotheists) in which he preached the unity of God and argued that the natural tendency in all religions was towards monotheism. He was a life-long campaigner for the abolition of the practice of Sati-immolation of widows on the funeral pyres of their dead husbands. This practice, though never widespread in India was totally prohibited by Law in 1829, due to the untiring efforts of Rammohun Roy. His crusading spirit also touched on many other aspects of social reform. He campaigned for female education and property rights for women. He was a powerful advocate of widow re-marriage.
• His dynamic and persuasive personality attracted kindred spirits and in 1814 he formed the "Allmiya Sabha', an .In his 'Discovery of India'. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru says that Raja Rammohun Ray was one of the founders of the Indian Press. Ramunahun Roy was associated with several newspapers. He brought out a bilingual Bengali-English magazine, and later desiring an All-India circulation, he published a weekly in Persian.
• Great  though the Raja's services were in the cause of social and religious reforms, his claim to an eminent place in Indian history also rests on the fact that he was the originator of the first secular movement in India. He was the ablest and the most progressive Indian politician of his time and his patriotism was based on the doctrine of the solidarity of the whole of humanity. His intense love of liberty was the mainspring of all his political opinions. He was also the first constitutional agitator in this country and drew up a memorial to the Supreme Court and a Petition to the King-in-Council against the Press Ordinance passed in 1823 .
• Raja Rammohun Roy went to England as an envoy of the Emperor of Delhi in 1830 and died there on the 27 September 1833.

• A hundred years in the life of a nation is an age in the life of an individual it is a marvel but if that life happens to be one of signal achievements in diverse fields of human activity, it constitutes a miracle. Sri M. Vavesvaraya who completes his hundred years in September 1961 can look back upon his century not only with a sense of pride and glory but also as an outstanding contribution to the building up of the Country during a very difficult period of its history.
• Born in a small village in Chickballapur Taluk of Kolar District, Mysore on September 15,1861, in a poor Brahmin family, Sri Visvesvaraya became the architect of his own destiny. After completing his education in Engineering with great distinction in 1884, from Poona College, he became an Asstt. Engineer in the P.W.D. of the Bombay Goverment. Within 3 years he was admitted to the Associate Membership of the Institute of Civil Engineers, London, and very soon he began to take long strides in his chosen profession. In 1894, he was deputed for designing and executing Water works and preparing a drainage and sewerage scheme for the town of Sukkur in Sind. The Governor of Bombay. Lord Sandhurst, described him as the most able Engineer the Municipality could provide itself with. Not only in field work but even in research he made his mark and held his position with conspicuousness amongst the best Engineers in the Country and abroad. He travelled extensively and received homage of his professional colleagues wherever he went. His subsequent career was noted for the designing of a new type of waste weir flood gate which was installed at the headwork of Maths and also a new scheme of irrigation called the "Black system of irrigation to meet the peculiar problems of the Deccan. By this time his reputation had travelled abroad and Lord Morley, the then Secretary of State for India selected him in 1908 to prepare proposals for a drainage system in Aden. In May of the same year, he retired from the service of the Bombay Govt. at his own request.
• For him however retirement did not mean any cessation of activities, instead it increased the tempo of demands for his services and shortly after retirement and a world tour which he under look he was appointed as Special Consulting Engineer to the Government of Hyderabad, Hyderabad City had been seriously affected by the ravages of the Musi river. In 6 months he worked out a complete scheme for protection of the Hyderabad City and was then invited by the Maharaja of Mysore to be his Chief Engineer. Public work was however a passion of his life and acknowledging this, Dewan T. Anand Rao persuaded him that he would have ample opportunities for public service in his new assignment. His service in Mysore State afforded him full opportunities for the exercise of his genius. He designed and constructed a major part of the masonry darn across the Kaveri forming the reservoir now known as the Krishna rajasagar. Gandhi, felt that this project alone was enough to perpetuate his name and no one who visits that spot of beauty and grant ability can help endorsing that tribute. His interests began to widen and at his initiative an Economic Conference was brought into existence in Mysore. He appointed a committee on technical education, organized a mechanical and engineering school at Bangalore and subsequently founded the Chamarajendra Technical Institute at Mysore. A comprehensive Railway Programme and the establishment of a railway construction department next engaged his attention.
• After these achievements it was only fitting that he should rise higher in the hierarchy, he was appointed the Dewan of Mysore State on November 10, 1912. His Dewarship was conspicuous for the manner in which he devoted himself to the task of economic reconstruction of Mysore, he set before himself the mission of eradicating poverty and illiteracy, of training the people to live more active and productive life and of ceaseless efforts to secure the betterment of the common man through deliberate planning. Among the achievements of his administration were the establishment of the Mysore University, the Bank of Mysore, the State Engineering College, the Mysore Sericulture Farm, the Mysore Soap Factory, the Mysore Sandal Wood Of Factory, the Mysore Paper Factory, the Central Industrial Workshop, the Mysore Government Press, the Mysore Cotton Mills, Power Installation at Shimsa, the Mysore Chamber of Commerce, the Mysore Iron and  Steel Works at Bhadravati, a planned economic reconstruction  of the districts, an officient audit system, a scheme of foreign training to officers in Government service, village improvement  and the  new Mysore Treaty with the British Govemment. During his regime the representative assembly of Mysore acquired larger powers and the Legislative Council was expanded
• He retired from the Mysore service on 10-6-1919 and thereafter his services were in great demand by the State Governments and public bodies. He represented the Mysore Government in the Committee of Indian Princes and Ministers during the visit of Mr. Montague to India. In 1922 at the political conference of all the parties in India held in Bombay he was voted to the Chair on the proposal of Mr. Jinnah and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. He presided over various conferences from time to time; they included the South Indian States Peoples Conference, Trivendrum, Indian Science Congress, Lucknow in January 1923 and the Indian Economic Conference held in Bombay in 1924. He was also associated with the New Delhi Capital Enquiry Committee of 1922, Lloyd Barrage in Sukkur in 1929, construction of flood protection works in Orissa in 1938 and the selection of a site for a Railway bridge on the Ganga in Bihar in 1952. 
• To a person of his attainments honours came easy and in profusion. He received Degrees from the various Indian Universities and became a fellow or honorary member of the Council of Institution of Civil Engineers, London, the Institution of Engineers, India, Indian Science Congress Association, Calcutta, Institution of Town Planners, India, Council of the Institute of Consulting Engineers, Calcutta and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. In 1955 the supreme state award of 'Bharat Ratna' was conferred on him and in 1958 the Asiatic Society of Bengal awarded him the Durga Prasad Khaitan Memorial Gold Medal. 
• He is the author of many publications and works, the most important of which are(1) Reconstructing India (2) Planned Economy for India (3) Memoire of my working Life and (4) A brief Memoir of my complete working life.

• The Survey of India was founded in 1767 and was 200 years old in 1967 during the issuance of this stamp. It has thus the unique distinction of being one of the oldest scientific organisation in the country. It is indeed rare for any organisation to count so much antiquity-rich in tradition and replete with adventure. In the fields of Geography, Geodesy and Cartography, the Survey of India has made several original and valuable contributions. Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world was discovered and measured by the Survey of India and bears the name of one of its eminent Surveyor Generals, Sir George Everest. 
•  It is well known that before the formulation or execution of any important project, the Survey of India is the first department to be consulted by the project planners. The work of the Survey of India has also special significance in matters concerning the country's defence. It has to organize surveys and work well ahead to provide maps at the right time and of the correct places where campaigns might be fought in war. One of the greatest achievements of the Survey of India is the execution of the Great Trigonometrical Survey, providing the country with a framework of precise geodetic control points which has proved of immense value. Other unique operations introduced in the Survey of India are Positional Astronomy, Gravimetry, Geomagnetism, Tidal Predictions, etc. India is also known as the home of the theory of Isostasy towards which the officers of the Survey of India have made outstanding contributions.
• The Survey Department has one of the largest map printing organisations in the world. The well-known Vandyke process in printing was invented and first introduced by an officer of the Survey of India. Apart from these notable achievements, the officers of the Survey of India have added lustre and fame in the field of exploration of unknown regions. The names of Nain Singh and Kishen Singh are a few which are reminiscent of the great spirit of adventure, indomitable courage and dedication to duty which permeates the annals of this Department and which it can always remember with pride.

• With India's victory over Pakistan in the Asian Games at Bangkok on the 19th December, 1986 we have once again displayed to the world our supremacy in this great game of skill, courage, stamina, artistry and team-work. The capacity crowds which witnessed the hockey final at Bangkok were thrilled to watch the wonderful stick work of the Indian team. Our players displayed unmatched skill particularly in short-passing and dribbling. India eventually emerged in a blaze of glory when during the first half of extra time Balbir Singh (Railways) gave a pass to his inside right and receiving it back swooped into the circle and scored a goal through a brilliant angular shot after both the teams had battled for 70 minutes without results.

• by this resounding victory, India, the Olympic Champions, wrested the Asian hockey championship from Pakistan who won it in 1958 at Tokyo on the basis of the goal average and again at Djakarta four  years later. It was in 1928 that India won the hockey title in the Olympic at Amsterdam by defeating Holland. Our latest success is in keeping with the high traditions set by the hockey wizard Dhyan Chand. The Indian victory in hockey at Bangkok has been the result of selfless  team work, great skill ,courage, determination and good organisation of which the country is justly proud.

• India's spiritual legacy can be likened to a rich skein of many strands. Through the dusty pages of her variegated history can be discerned the names of great man al original minds and a great reforming zeal who helped in shaping the destinies of the people. Mahavir and Gautam Buddha were the spearheads of such movements In the 12century, we come across one such soul - Basaveswara-who had a new vision of faith through surrender to a nobler conception of God. He farged new synthesis in the field of religion and philosophy and in a world where ethical values are fast eroding and spirituality is being overwhelmed by secularism, the teachings of Basaveswara stand in substance, as guide posts for reconstructing society on the true image of man.
• A great mystic, a religious and social reformer, a statesinan and administrator, Basaveswara was born in the Bijapur District in Mysore State. He was a precocious child and was given to religious musings.
• An incident which occurred in the early days of his life gives an insight to his character and the course he was destined to follow. When he was eight years old, preparations had been made by his parents for his Upanaynam' or initiation ceremony to invest him with the sacred thread. At the gathering Basaveswara sprang a surprise on the bewildered assembly by refusing to undergo the ceremony, declaring that he had already been initiated by the grace of God. is appointment in course of time, as the Chief Minister in King Biljala's court did not deter him from his spiritual pursuits. His teachings offered to the people a new understanding of God and opened up for his followers a new Life of joy and fulfillment imbued with a wide range of appealing spiritual insights. His sociology is based on true democratic ideals, an comman humanity and the dignity of the human person. He discouraged the cruder forms of idolatry and freed his followers from the tutelage of traditional priests.
• His faith did not countenance the wilder aberrations of the mortification of the human body. Basaveswara believed that a devole need not necessarily detach himself from the world nor eschew worldly enjoyment but that he should partake of the varied blessings of worldly life humbly and unselfishly without vanity or pride. He also firmly believed that neither sex, social status nor caste would disqualify one from attaining salvation.
• The corpus of  Basaveswara's teachings is embodied in simple verse farm known as Vachanas'. They are all written in the Kannada language their verbal suppleness gives them a quiet, inimitable cadence. Many of the Vachanas have been set to music. Although they are direct and simple with metaphors and analogies, they are charged with mystic overtones and spiritual insight. Recourse has been taken to every nuance possible, capable of exploiting the intensity of words and the inner resonance of the language. As one of the pioneers of this novel form of literary expression, Basaveswara has left an indelible mark in the history of Kannada literature.
• Basaveswara passed away in the year 1167 leaving to posterity his legacy as a religious reformer, as a man of letters and, above all, as a wise and progressive leader who taught men the art of right living.

• To be a self-respecting and strong nation, India has to be self-reliant .Self-sufficiency in food production is no less important than an impregnable defence system to guard our hard-won freedom. This was the recurring theme in Shastriji's public utterances. He called upon the Kissan to give his sweat and tail to match the heroic sacrifices made by our Jarwars to beat back aggression successfully
• Agriculture has now been accorded the highest priority in the Fourth Five Year Plan. It envisages production of an additional 30 million tonnes of foodgrains by 1970-71, raising the annual production to 120 million tonnes. The new strategy of concentrating on high-yielding varieties in the best cultivable areas with assured water supply aims at realising  Shastriji's exhortation to grow two grains where one grew before. Towards this end, not only agriculture but also industry, power, irrigation, transport and administration have been geared to expeditiously provide the necessary inputs and other supports to the cultivators.
• Our expectations and efforts on the farm front will, however, be in vain without the diligent, and dedicated participation of the man behind the plough. The stamp emphasises the key role that the Kisan can play in changing the face of our rural economy and in the nation's end eavour to attain self sufficiency on the food front.

• 10th May, 1857. This date is written in golden letters in the history of Modern India. On this day, at Meerut, began the movement which culminated on 15th August, 1947. "Long years ago we had a tryst with destiny", Jawaharlal Nehru said, perhaps referring to this day when a determined group of freedom fighters raised a battle-cry against the might of the British Empire.
• For long, British historians tried to dismiss this momentous event as a mere uprising of some disgruntled soldiers, a mutiny which was curbed quickly. Curbed it was and mercilessly, but it was the first abundant expression of India's desire for a free nation. 
• On this day we also remember those nameless soldiers, fighters, warriors, farmers and women who united under leaders like Bahadur Shah Zafar, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Tantia Tope, Nana Saheb, Begum 
•  Hazrat Mahal, Mangal Pandey to wage war against a mighty foreign empire. These warriors came from all parts of the country and belonged to various religions, castes and sects. In this coming  together  against oppression and injustice, they forgot barriers of religion, caste and distance and fought as one. Before their eyes unfolded a vision of freedom. Success was not certain but this did not deter them.

• The Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department issued a special postage stamp in commemoration of Saint Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles of Christ, on the 2nd December 1964, which coincides with the arrival of His Holiness Pape Paul VI in India.

• A completely authentic historical account of life of St. Thomas Didymus, one of the Twelve Apostles of Christ, introduced Christianity into India. Experts generally agree that he took the north westen route to India and arrived about 52 A.D. He then proceeded to the southern coast and preached the Christian faith among the people of South India. There are some ancient monuments in Southern India, which are connected with SL Thomas. Chief among these are the St. Thomas Mount where, it is said, he met his death and the San Thomas Cathedral at Madras, which has been reacted on the spot where he was buried.

• On 15 April 1965 the Indian Posts & Telegraphs Department brought out a commemorative stamp  on  Abraham Lincoln, the great American statesman.

• It is a fact of history that nations produce men who are equal to the times India had Mahatma Gandhi to guide her in her struggle for freedom To the United States of America came Abraham Lincoln in her hour of tribulation. The deals for which Abraham Lincoln stood have a special significance for us in India since they were so akin to those of the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Separated as they were by space and time, these two great leaders were motivated by two basic convictions - belief in the common man and belief in the ultimate triumph of truth. As it happened, both of them laid down their lives for the cause which was dearest to their hearts. 

• Lincoln, the 16 President of the United States of America, was called to the helm of affairs in 1861 at a time when that country was on the verge of a civil war over the question of the abolition of Negro slavery The civil war which lasted for four long years ended in victory for the northern States, thanks to Lincoln's stewardship. His leadership and indomitable courage were a bulwark against the forces of reaction and outmoded beliefs.

• He earned the gratitude of his countrymen by preserving the Union of the States of America and of millions of Negros by abolishing slavery. 

• His creed was simple - As I would not be a slave , so I would not be a must This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy." 

• He had faith in people, in the basic goodness of men and in democracy .God must like the common people, he said, for he would not have made so many of them. He believed that "no man le good enough to govern another man without that other man's consent. Democracy meant to him the government of the people, by the people, for the people. These basic tenets have inspired liberators and humanitarians for generations after Lincoln .

• By his precept and example, Abraham Lincoln served the cause of the downtrodden and the appressed not only in his own country but all over the world. In the words of our late Prime Minister. Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, he was ....one of those very select great men who have become part of the world's consciousness as embodying certain ideal which the world treasures...."

• Jameetjin. Tata was born a little more than 125 years ago on the 3 March, 1839 and was educated at the Elphinstone College, Bombay. He joined his father's trading firm in 1858 and had an outstandingly successful business career during which he made a massive contribution to India's industrial development. He set up cotton mills in Bombay and Nagpur and founded the Tala Iron and Steel Company which is among the largest integrated steel mills in the world. He planned the utilisation of hydro-electric power which resulted in the formation, after his death, of the Tala Power Companies which supply electric power to Bombay city and the surrounding areas. 

• Jamsetijin Tala's contribution to India's industrial advance was monumental. Even when the country was under foreign rule he had the vision to realise the importance of a modern industry for giving a better life to the people. His activities were many sided. He introduced sericulture into India, founded the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and applied scientific techniques to the cultivation of cotton and other crops.

• He freely donated his wealth to worthy causes and is best remembered for the munificent endowment which he established for the advanced professional and technical training of Indians abroad. He was a man of high social ideals and was a pioneer in his enlightened attitude towards labour. Jamsetji died on the 19thMay, 1904 In the words of our late Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru he was. "one of the great founders of modern India and there cannot be a more succinct yet fuller tribute.

• In a memorable address to the with Session of the UN General Assembly on November 10, 1961, the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had suggested that the Assembly might consider devoting a year to International Co-operation to emphasise the positive aspects of cooperation rather than the conflicts and divisions in the world. Enthusiastically received, this suggestion culminated in the unanimous adoption by the General Assembly of a resolution on November 21, 1983, designating 1965, the 20th year of the United Nations, as the International Co-operation Year.

• A UN Committee for the ICY was then constituted, with India among its 12 members, to draw up and co-ordinate plans for the ICY. Its recommendations included the issue of commemorative stamps, an ICY Calendar of month wise activities, publicity and exchange of information on all aspects of international co-operation, and formation of National Committees for the International Co-operation Year. 

• An Indian National Committee for the ICY was set up under the Presidentship of the Minister of External Affairs, Sardar Swaran Singh, and including representatives from various sections of the community, for the overall planning and co-ordination of activities to be undertaken during 1965.

• India's plans and projects for the observance of the ICY include the erection of an ICY Memorial, a documentary film on "Twenty Years of the United National", a book entitled "India and the United National", a pamphlet on India and International Co-operation", an exhibition on International Co operation", an all-India competition for an ICY poster, a mock UN General Assembly, meetings, seminars, lectures, special AIR feature, ICY yes in journals, wall are  projects by all India voluntary organisations, observance of special UN days in educational institutions, etc. The celebrated exponent of Carnatic music, Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi gave a special performance in September 1965 at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York in celebration of the 20' anniversary of the United Nations.

Denomination  :  15 np

• The 8th Conference of Heads of State or Government of Nonaligned Countries held in Harare in September, 1986 expressed its grave concern over the continuing deterioration of the situation in Southern Africa. The Summit  regretted that instead of heeding the call of the international community to eradicate apartheid, the racist regime had stepped up its oppression and subjugation of the disenfranchised and dispossessed people of South Africa through the imposition of the state of emergency and other repressive measures.
• The Summit renewed its abiding commitment to the eradication of the pernicious system of apartheid. It was reaffirmed that the imposition of comprehensive and mandatory sanctions against South Africa in accordance with Chapter 7 of the Charter of the United Nations was the only peaceful option to compel the racist Pretoria regime to abandon apartheid. Pending adoption of comprehensive and mandatory sanctions, the Summit recommended a number of measures for implementation by the International community. It was noted with satisfaction that at the London Review Meeting of the Commonwealth Leaders, six countries, including three from the Non-aligned Movement, had agreed to impose a number of economic measures against South Africa.
• As a concrete measure, the Summit resolved to establish the AFRICA Fund with the following objectives to strengthen the economic and financial capability of the Front-line States to fight the apartheid regime of South Africa, to support the liberation movements in South Africa and Namibia, to assist the Frontline States to enforce sanctions against South Africa and to cope with any retaliatory action by the racist regime. AFRICA Fund stands for Action For Resisting Invasion Colonialism and Apartheid, Fund.
• The nine-Member Fund Committee consists of India Chairman), Zambia (Vice-Chairman), Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Algeria, Congo, Yugoslavia, Peru and Argentina.
• (Courtesy - Ministry of External Affairs).

• The year 1968 had been named by the U.N. General Assembly as the international Year for Human Rights', as it marks the twentieth anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, unanimously approved by the General Assembly on 10 December, 1948, was the first major step towards implementing the previous of the charter. The Declaration, in the words of the Secretary General, U Thant, ranks second only to the Charter of the United Nations, as an Index of the highest aspirations of the world".

• In 1985 and 1968, the General Assembly called for intensified effort by member states in the field of human rights during 1968. The recommended theme was the "greater recognition and full enjoyment of the fundamental freedom of the Individual and of human rights everywhere". The aim is to focus attention on universal respect for and observance of fundamental human rights for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.

• The Government of India had decided to join in celebrating 1968 as the International Year for Human Rights. A national Committee had been constituted to co-ordinate the celebrations all over India. The text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was widely published through all available means and all universities and educational institutions all over India will participate in the celebrations through talks, lectures, debates, seminars, essay competitions, etc.

Denomination   :  15 naya paisa

• ISO came in being in 1948 as the successor to the International Federation of the National Standardization Association (ISA). Its object is: to promote the development of standards in the world with a view to facilitating International exchange of goods and services and to developing mutual co-operation in the sphere of Intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity".

• At present, 51 Standards Organizations from as many countries constitute the membership of the ISO. Its work is carried out through 108 Technical Committees and their Sub-committees and working Groups.

• Considering the vital importance of standardization in industrial developments and promotion of international trade, India has been actively participating in the work of ISO ever since its inception in 1948. Thus, the Indian Standards Institution (ISI) today takes part in 78 of the 108 technical committees of ISO and holds the secretariats of three of the ISO Technical Committees, namely, Lac, Mic and Pictorial Markings for Handling of Goods, and of 4 sub-committees and working groups. the technical fields in which international standardization will be under consideration at the New Delhi meetings will include subjects of primary interest to India, such as agricultural food products like spices, condiments and stimulant foods, steel, rubber, vetiver oil, screw threads, bolts, nuts and, accessories, and sampling of iron and manganese ores.

• This is the first time that a meeting of the General Assembly of the ISO is being held in Asia. The previous meetings were held at Parls (1949). New York (1952), Stockholm (1955), Harrogate (1958) and Helsinki (1961).

Denomination   :   15 np

• When Pakistan unleashed its military machine against us last September, the Indian Republic passed through a crisis the like of which it has not known in eighteen years of existence. The nation was suddenly enveloped in a conflict which was not of its seeking War is always a tragedy but can sometimes bring much good in its wake, India has emerged from the turmoil with its colours flying and with its sense of purpose and values steeled and burnished in a sense, the war has been a fulfilment and a rem action of the secular and liberal ideals which motivate our nation. The unity and courage with which the Armed Forces thwarted external aggression should serve as an example to us all. 
• The  storm had been gathering for some years and when it burst at Pakistan's bidding we had to fight if only to survive. While the whole nation rose in unison and prepared to meet the challenge of aggression, it fell to our Armed Forces to bear the brunt of the enemy attack. The world knows how landed the dice was against us and how fierce the encounter.
• Now that the dust of battle has somewhat settled and the picture has become clearer, the superb quality of the Indian defence forces has come sharply into focus, and we are fully assured that we can reply on them to preserve the integrity of our motherland.
• The conflict was short but the roll of honour has been long. The many dreds of heroism and personal sacrifice on land and in the skies are now parts of a glorious record. But so is the list of those who fell in defending the frontier. They will live forever in the memory of a grateful nation.

• The following message has been received from the Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru All over the world today, the fifteenth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is being observed. It is a day of remembrance, thanksgiving and dedication: remembrance of those who gave their all so what others may live in freedom, thanksgiving for the progress achieved in emancipation of millions from foreign subjection and exploitation and dedication to continue the struggle until all mankind is freed from fear and want. The Human Rights Day this year is invested with special poignancy in the context of martyrdom of John F. Kennedy, the great President of United States of America. Probably the most impressive act of modern life is the breathtaking pace al development of science and technology. But all this progress is meaningful only if it leads to the general welfare of humanity and secures to each individual the fullest opportunities for development according to his genius. This is possible only if his rights and role in the society are properly understood, protected and promoted. The Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed and adopted by the United Nations fifteen years ago aims precisely at achieving this objective, that is, of promoting universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedom for all without discrimination as to religion, race, sex or language. IF oppression, conflict and war have darkened the pages of history, it is primarily because of man's inhumanity to man, because of disregard of and contempt for the rights and dignity of others. In order to banish for ever these evil forces which are a blot upon the civilization and which now threaten to wipe it out altogether, it is necessary to remove all manifestations of racial arrogance, political domination and economic injustice and abuse. Real peace can not be achieved on the basis of a precarious balance of mutual terror but only on the basis of genuine co-operation in promoting a social order which protects the rights and dignity of the individual consistent with social progress and international understanding."

• Vidyapati is the greatest and most famous of Maithili poets. He was born in Bisaphi , a village in Northern Bihar around the year 1360 A.D. He died in 1448 after a long life full of literary achievement.
• Descended from a line of scholars he followed in the footsteps of his ancestors and became a court poet to the Maithili  kings of the day His literary and creative genius flowered under their patronage. He was a master of Sanskrit, the language of scholars and the large majority of his works is in that language. But his abiding place in the literature and affections of the people rests on his mastery and use of the vernacular  Maithili, as a vehicle of literary expression. His songs and poems in Maithili  known as the 'Padavali  poems are unique and unrivalled in their lyrical and artistic quality. He was as much the popular tard of the masses as the sophisticated poet of courts. His style started a new literary tradition and greatly influenced the literatures of other languages such as Bengali and Assamese. The beauty and power of his poems have inspired other poets down to very recent times. Tagore himself has acknowledged his debt to Vidyapati's compositions in Maithili.
• Vidyapati's was a many sided personality. A lover of beauty, sensitive to human emotions and the joys of nature, he was at the same time, a man of the world with a fund of wisdom tempered by a deep faith in religion and God. He wrote eighteen works in Sanskrit and Maithili along with innumerable songs and ballads.
• Among his most famous works are the 'Kirtipataka  historical romance, 'Gorakshavijaya  a drama in Maithili, 'Purusha Parikshaa collection of stories. His forte was, however, the vernacular ballad or sang. His ballads are unrivalled in brilliance of metaphor and simile, choice of expression and flights of fancy and imagination. Vidyapati's popularity remains undiminished to this day. His name is a household word in Bihar and Bengal. It is not uncommon to find even the unlettered in Mithila lisping a couplet or two of Vidyapati on some occasion or the other.

• Oil is the life of modern Industry. It is but natural that in the development plans of the country, exploration and production of oil should receive a high priority The establishment of the first public sector refinery at Nunmati near Gauhati (Assam) marks an important step in the growth of oil industry in India.
• Crude oil that is produced from oil wells cannot be readily used. Gasoline, Kerosene, high-speed diesel and light diesel, lubricating oil, heavy fuel oil, asphalt and other such products, which the consumer gets, are all derived from the crude mineral oil by a series of refining processes. In fact, crude oil is one of the most versatile minerals known and it is a matter of wonder that so many products of different types are produced from the same basic source. To obtain this variety of products from the crude oil is the job of an oil refinery. The government of India realising the strategic and fundamental role that the petroleum products play in the life of the nation and in conformity with Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956, decided that refineries should be constructed in the public sector. The Indian Refineries Limited was incorporated on August 22, 1958. Owned by the government of India, it had an authorised capital of Rs.30 crores and was entrusted with the construction, operation and maintenance of two refineries - at Gauhati in Assam and Barauni in Bihar.
• The refinery at Gauhati, which was the first to be set up, had a capacity of processing 0.75 million metric tons of crude oil per annum. When fully commissioned, the refinery was expected to produce 163,700 metric tons of kerosene, 183,500 metric tons of diesel ails, 160 200 metric tons of gasoline,113,200 metric tons of furnace oil and 109,400 metric tons of other products such as coke, aroma and refinery gases. With the production pattern designed to maximize the production of what are known as middle distillates kerosene and diesel oil) as compared to light distillates (gasoline) or residuals (furnace oils etc.), the refinery helps to save a lot of foreign exchange which is now spent an importing these deficit products. To set up the refinery, about 4 million cubic meters of earth had to be moved: I .100 piles were driven at the site, about 13,000 cubic meters of concrete went into construction and about 18,500 tons of equipment had to be shipped from Romania and carried by stages from Calcutta to Gauhati and then to Nunmati. Nearly 5,000 workers were engaged in the construction of this refinery. The total cost of construction of the refinery was estimated at Rs.17.7 crores. The plant had been supplied by the Romanian Government who agreed to give long-term credit of Rs.5.6 crores on an interest of 2.5 per cent repayable in phases. They also designed the refinery and provided technicians for supervision of construction and training Indian personnel. The actual construction was done by Indian Engineers and contractors. Besides bringing prosperity to the region - a number of secondary industries such as a cake calcination unit are already planned - the refinery marks a significant milestone in India's march towards self-efficiency.

Denomination  :  0.15 naya paisa

Denomination   :   10 naya paisa

• The history of a nation is to a great extent, the history of its great men and women Our country has produced remarkable personalities, in every walk of life, through its long and chequered history. "It is undeniable write Prof. Banerjee, the noted historian "that Guru Gobind Singh must be counted among the greatest of Indians of all ages. Gobind Rai (as he was known at birth), the only son of the ninth sikh guru Tegh  Bahadur, was born at Patna in the year 1666. During his adolescence he learnt Sanskrit, Hindi, Punjabi, Persian and Arabic. What interested him even more was archery and shooting
• When Gobind was only 9 years old, a deputation of Brahmins came to his father Guru Tegh Bahadur to seek his intercession as the Emperor Aurangzeb had embarked on a policy of religious persecution. It was left to Tegh Bahadur to take up the challenge. His exhortation to the people to stand firm was not liked by the Mughal Government. Aurangzeb got him arrested and finally ordered his execution in Delhi on his refusal to embrace Islam. Having witnessed the tyranny and oppression of Aurangzeb and the martyrdom of his father, Gobind knew clearly what his mission in life would be. He thus wrote of his mission, 1 came in the world charged with the duty to uphold the right in every place, to destroy an and evil...that the good may live and tyrants  be torn out of their roots.
• Early in 1699, he decided to proclaim his life's mission. In a huge gathering at Anandpur thousands of men and women received the baptism of the sword at his hand. In his new order the Khalsa-he abolished caste and customs, old rituals and outmoded beliefs. He proclaimed complete quality between man and man. Men of all castes were made to eat from the same bowl. He said "Men quarrel over Let, dress, ritual and over caste, community and creed and have thus torn man from man, My mission is to restore mankind to a angles  brotherhood." He thus raised an army of soldier saints who would wield arms only in a righteous cause His motto was: "Manas ki jat sab ek hi pahchanbo"-know all mankind as one case. He told the gathering "I'll call myself Gobind Singh only if I can make the meek sparrows pounce upon the hawks and tear them only If one combatant of my force equals a lakh and a quarter of the enemy. Thus a new people was born-bearded, beturbaned, fully armed and with a crusader's zeal to establish a new order.
• Having created a militant force Guru Gobind Singh and his men repulsed a number of attacks by the Mughal army inflicting heavy losses on the Imperial forces. Emperor Aurangzeb finally decided to destroy the Guru and his followers and ordered the despatch of all available troops. Though outnumbered, the Guru and his men defended the fort at Anandpur and inflicted heavy losses on the Mughal army. The Mughal army finally decided to cut off supplies to starve the Guru and his men to submission .The Guru's two youngest sons while being led out to safety, were captured by the Nawab of Sir hind and brutally murdered. The Guru's mother died of shock on hearing the news. The Guru's two elder sons also died valiantly fighting the Mughal army at Chamkaur. The Guru had in the meanwhile escaped from Anandpur and on getting information about his two young sons and his mother he dug out a shrub with his knife and said, Just as I have torn the rub shrub from its roots so ah all this tryannous empire be destroyed, root and branch."
• Guru Gobind Singh having suffered military reverses, was advised by Aurangzeb to surrender. In reply the Guru wrote in Persian the 'Zafarnama' or 'The Letter of Victory' to Aurangzeb. This letter breathes defiance and contempt for earthly power, yoked to tyranny and sin, and lays down the eternal rule that he alone wins in the end whose cause is just.
• In 1707 the Guru departed towards the Deccan via Rajputana. It appears it was the Guru's wish to integrate his forces with those of the Rajputs and the Marathas and give decisive battle to the Mughals. It was at Nanded that the Guru passed away at the young age of forty-two after being stabbed with a dagger by a hireling of the Nawab of Sir hind.
• Despite his short span of life he occupies an outstanding position in the chequered  history of our country not only because of his military successes but for his work in the social and ethical spheres.
• Latif the famous historian says of Guru Gobind Singh, "He was a law giver in the pulpit, a champion in the field, a king on his 'masnad' and a faqir in the society of the Khalsa."Dr. Gokul Chand Narang another historian has said, "Though he did not actually break the shackles that bound his nation, he had set their souls free, and filled their hearts with a lofty longing for freedom and ascendancy".     

•  Lala Lajpat Rai occupies a preeminent position in the ranks of valiant fighters for India's independence. He was born on the 28 January 1865 in a small village called Dhudike in the Ferozepur District of the Punjab. After a distinguished academic career he qualified as a lawyer and started practising in Hissar in 1883. He soon became the foremost lawyer in the district.
• His spirit rebeled against the foreign rule in India and he devoted himself throughout his life to the struggle for freedom. He joined the Indian National Congress in 1888 and was sent to England by the Congress in 1905, to canvass British public opinion in favour of responsible government for Indians. On his return to India he continued his political agitation which resulted in his exile for a period of six months to Burma .
• These repressive measures did not break him but steeled his determination to fight for the freedom of his countrymen. He visited England again in 1914 as a member of the Congress delegation and later spent a few years in the United States of America where he carried on propaganda in favour of responsible government for India.
• His turbulent spirit could not submit itself to the disciplines of a single party and during his life-time he was to associate himself with different political parties. However the ruling passion of his life was the political emancipation of his people. He was a man of utter sincerity and courageous determination. His spirit revolted against injustice in any shape or farm and he was always in the forefront in voicing his protest. In 1928 the Simon Commission visited India in connection with some proposals for political reform. Lala Lajpat Rai led the agitation against the Commission in the Punjab. It was while he was leading a procession in Lahore to protest against the Commission's visit to India that he was felled by blows from a police batan an 30 October 1928. He succumbed to his injuries on the 17th November 1928.

• The International Telecommunication Union celebrates its centenary on May 17, 1965. The oldest of international organisations, it is perhaps also the most successful. The founding of the International Telegraph Union in Parle a hundred years ago marked the beginning of a century of unbroken (except during the two world wars) and harmonious collaboration among the member countries for promoting the development efficiency and utility of the Telecommunication services the world over. Briefly, the main objectives of the I.T.U. are to promote telecommunication development through international cooperation, ensure rational use of telecommunications, enlarge technical facilities, improve efficiency, formulate telegraph, telephone and radio regulations to ensure uniformity in procedure and traffic ,disseminate information and to act as a body responsible for implementing the terms of the International Conventions.
• The Organisation of the Union consists of the Plenipotentiary Conference which has the power to revise the International Telecommunication Convention, the Administrative Conferences which consider specific telecommunication matters, and the administrative Council with twenty five elected members of the Union which supervises the management and controls the budget of the ITU and provides the link with the United Nations Organisations and its allied agencies.
• The following are the permanent organs of the Union:(a) The General Secretariat of the Union with headquarters at Geneva, The Secretariat is the liaison between  telecommunication Administrations of the world, provides the administrative and financial services of the Union and publishes, among other valuable documents, the monthly, "Telecommunication Journal.(b) The International Frequency Registration Board. This is an expert body of the elected members from different countries, giving help and advice in the assignment and utilisation of radio frequencies to ensure economic and coordinated use of the frequency spectrum by member Administrations. (c) The International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee which is devoted to the study of technical operation and tariff questions related to telegraphy and telephony an make recommendations thereon. (d) The International Radio Consultative Committee which is a similar body investigating and advising on technical and operation matters connected with radio, including the new problems of space communication. The new and developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America look up to the ITU for many of their emergent needs like expert technical advice and assistance, grant of fellowships to telecommunication engineers, their training and execution of U.N. Special Fund Projects.
• A member of the Union ever since 1889, India has been actively associated with it over the last ninety six years. Particularly after Independence, she has made significant contribution as an elected member of the Administrative Council and as a nominee in a number of technical study groups. It is natural that India sets great store on the fascinating prospect of the countries of the world getting linked up in an international telecommunication network through a world wide communication system; in bringing this about the role of the ITU, which has set a fine example of what international cooperation can achieve, cannot be over emphasised. Having sponsored the observance of the International Cooperation Year, India considers it a fitting coincidence that the Year marks also the centenary of the I.T.U.

Denomination  :  15 naye paisa

• The observance of elective principles in the selection of rulers and kings can be traced back in India almost to the earliest pages of history. There is a reference to this in the epics. Brahmanas refer to popularly chosen rulers and the offices of king-makers (Raja Kartri). Buddhist literature of the 4th century B.C. refers to republics like that of the Lichhavis where the Chief of the State (Senapali) was chosen by election. Voting was known as Chhanda' which literally means a wish. Voting tickets were called 'Shalakas' (pins) and the officers appointed by the assembly to collect voting papers were called "Shalaka Granak".
• Though generally republics were absorbed in empires, the chiefs of trade guilds, and of craft associations of urban corporations and village assemblies continued to be elected by the people. Administrative boards and parishads composed of members selected by the respective guilds or associations, persisted in various places for a long time.  Village communities continued functioning in some areas .a in Maharashtra under the Peshwas up to the 18 century.
• The principle of indirect election was first introduced in 1892, by the British; but popularly elected representatives entered the legislatures only in 1909 - the electorate being very narrow. Although the electorate was gradually widened by the Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935, the ideal of universal adult suffrage was realised only by the inauguration of the present Constitution in 1950. 
• Since then, three general elections have been held in 1952, 1957 and 1962.The general elections being held in 1967 are the fourth. All adult citizens of India will elect representatives from 521 Parliamentary and 3.488 State assembly constituencies in the whole country. An electorate of over 225 million will vote for which more than 250 thousand polling stations will be set up manned by 1.5 million officers. The whole operation took four months in 1952, 20 days in 1957 and 10 days in 1962. This year, the general elections will take less time as they will be from the 15th to the 21st February, 1987.

• Nine men reached the 29,028 ft. high summit of the Everest in four successive attempts made within ten days in May, 1965.This is the success story of the third Indian Mount Everest Expedition, doing credit to all its nineteen members and bringing glory to India.
• "To Lt. Cdr. M. S. Kohli, the leader, and to every one of his members and high-altitude Sherpas, to humble Nepalese porters, and to all those in the ordnance factories and other establishments in India who helped to equip the expedition is due the credit for success and our pride in it", commented a national daily. It added, "And to-day, because of that success, India takes an honoured place in the exclusive club of international mountaineering and we are all a little taller."  
• By this accomplishment, a new page in the epic of the Everest has been inscribed, a page worthy of the people for whom the Himalayas have always had a deep significance, whose, history and way of life have for centuries been influenced by the Abode of Eternal Snow.
• Since 1852, when Peak XV, later to be named the Everest, was found to be the highest not only in the Himalayan range, but also in the whole world, this tallest of pinnacles on earth has presented supreme challenge to man. To date, there have been as many as fifteen full-fledged expeditions to Mount Everest both from the Tibet and the Nepal side, and four reconnaissance and three solo attempts A New Zealander, Sir Edmund Hillary, and an Indian, Tenzing Norgay, as members of the 1953 British Expedition, led by Sir John Hunt, were the first ever to reach the summit of the Everest on May 29 that year of the been expeditions, India mounted three. The 1960 Indian Expedition under Brig Gyan Singh was compelled to withdraw when only 700 from the goal owing to bad weather. The second Indian attempt in 1962, under the late Major John Dias, met the same fate when just 400 ft. below the submmit .The third Indian Expedition's initial attempt towards the end of April, 1965, was also thwarted by high velocity of winds and blizzards and it had to return to the base camp and wait for over two weeks for better weather. Towards the end of May, however, the efforts of the Expedition were crowned with remarkable success when Mount Everest was scaled in four successive attempts.
• On May 20, 1965 the expedition became the first All Indian team to reach the summit when two of its members, Capt. A. S. Cheema and Nawang Gombu climbed the peak. This was the second time that Nawang Gombu had climbed the Everest - a record worthy to be proud of. Two days later, on May 22, Sonam Gyatso and Sonam Wangyal  reached the summit becoming respectively the oldest (42) and the youngest (23) climbers ever to stand on top of the Everest. Again, on May 24, C. P. Vohra and Ang Kami reached the top. On May 29, 12 years to the day from the first ascent of Everest, the fourth and last summit party with Capt. H.P.S. Ahluwalia, H. C. S. Rawat and Phul Dorji  made the summit. This was the first time that three men had stood together on the Everest.
• The attainment of these unrivalled distinctions has been the result of good organisation, selfless team work, fine leadership, indomitable courage and mountaineering skill of which the country is justly proud.

• The 22nd International Geological Congress met for the first time in Asia at New Delhi, between the 14th and 22nd December, 1964. Members from about 92 countries attended. It was the biggest International Scientific Congress ever held in Asia .The Congress was established in 1875 with the purpose of contributing to the advancement of investigations relating to the study of the Earth, considered from theoretical and practical points of view" The first session was held in 1878 in Paris, subsequent sessions have met every 3 or 4 years, in different cities of the world. In the New Delhi Congress, papers on recent advances in different aspects of geology will be discussed in sixteen sections. The meetings of various commissions and affiliated bodies of the Congress and the International Union of Geological Sciences (founded in 1960), will be held at the same time. The papers read at the meetings and the discussions arising therefrom, will published  subsequently. An important feature of the International Geological Congress, was the large number of excursions of geological interest, being organised all over the country, both before and after the session.

• The Fifteenth  Annual Conference of the Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA) will be held in New Delhi from January 24 to 29, 1966. The Conference will be preceded by a two-day seminar on tourism,
• PATA is an important international organisation whose main objective is to develop, promote and facilitate travel to and within areas of the Pacific and the Orient.
• It was the initiative all Louis Thurston, a leading newspaper publisher of Honolulu that brought PATA into existence in 1951 with 44 founder members. PATA's first Conference was held in January 1952 in Honolulu and in 1953 its headquarters were established in San Francisco. The promotional activities of PATA are centralised in the Executive Director who functions in accordance with the policies laid down at Annual Conferences. A forty member Board of Directors is elected every year from among PATAS 750 members, which includes representatives of national travel organisations, air and steamship lines, leading hotels, publishers with special interest in travel, travel agencies and organisations with active interest in the Pacific travel industry. The President is always elected from among the active government members of the area in which the annual conference is held.
• PATA is primarily interested in promotion of travel to the Pacific area from the U.S.A. & Europe. In  this it is aided by the various PATA branches, particularly those in London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle. Paid media advertising, regular release of travel stories and feature articles to newspapers, photo and editorial contests and all other recognised devices of sales promotion are employed by PATA to promote tourism in the Pacific area. Besides, PATA publishes its own monthly magazine, Pacific Travel News, which is widely distributed among members of the travel Industry.
• India, which was only an associate member since 1957, became a full-fledged active member of PATA in 1984. At the 13th Annual Conference held in Sydney, India invited PATA to hold its 15th Session in New Delhi. This invitation was accepted at the 14th Conference in 1965 and India's Director General of Tourism was elected the year's President of PATA.

• The destiny of modern India was shaped, in a large measure, by the many lovers of freedom who lived and laboured for the country about the turn of the last centenary It was in this era of political and  intellectual ferment that young Gokhale came under the influence of another great patriot, Ranade. The story of the friendship between them has been described as a beautiful romance in modem Indian  history. In the short span of 49 years Gokhale established himself as a great national leader and freedom fighter. Indeed, it would be no exaggeration to ray that he became Gandhi's preceptor and, historically, his precursor.                    
• Gopal Krishna Gokhale was born at Kolkata, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra State, on May 9, 1866, nine years after the spark of Indian nationalism was kindled by the Great Uprising of 1857.On graduation, he turned his back on a life of comfort to start his mission in the field of education. He became the Secretary of the Deccan Educational Society and the leading luminary of Ferguson Calling, Poona, But Gokhale, the patriot, was meant for a wider arena.
• At 29.Gokhale became the secretary of the Indian National Congress .He used to warm up intensely to noble souls like Ranade and Dadabhai Naorji. and in later years Gandhiji; but he had a mind of his own which glowed at once with gentleness, forbearance, determination and the spirit of independence. Like Burke, whom he admired, he was a fountain of constitutionalism and moderation in politics.
• As a member of the Bombay Legislative Council and later of the Imperial Legislative Council, he was the trusted spokesman of Indian opinion. A consummate parliamentarian, his views were heard with respect by the foreign Government. He had faith in the British because he had, like Gandhiji, faith in human nature. He combined enthusiasm for reform with patient industry, and the Installment of progress which came in the form of constitutional reforms were not a little due to him. In 1905, at the age of 39, he was elected President of the Indian National Congress.
• The same year Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society to train and raise a band of national missionaries for the service of the country. When he said, "Love of country must so fill the heart that all the hall appear as of little moment by its able ,he had faith in his country's ultimate destiny. Gokhale accepted Gandhi's method of passive resistance as legitimate, but only as a last resort. He toured South Africa at Gandhiji s instance, and his efforts brought a measure of success to the long-drawn struggle of the Indian settlers.
• TAs a political realist Gokhale believed that representative institutions should grow from below. He was a great constructive force in the public life of his time. In him there was a harmony, typically Indian, between thought, word and action. Nata dogmatits , he lived his religion. His style was fluent and limpid; his manner suave and humane. In Gandhiji's wards, he was the Image of truth, full of humanity, one who called nothing his own.

• The latter half of the nineteenth century saw the birth in India, of several personalities who attained high eminence in diverse fields. Of those, the name of Sri Aurobindo stands among the foremost. He was born in Calcutta on the 15 August 1872. After receiving his early education in India on western lines, he studied for fourteen years in England. He was a brilliant student and became a master of several European languages including Greek and Latin, passing the Classical Tripos from the University of Cambridge with First Class Honours and, winning all the prizes in the Classics. Later he came out successful in Indian Civil Service Examination.
• However, he did not join the Civil Service but, decided to devate himself to the task of freeing India from foreign yoke. As a student, he participated in the debates of the Indian Majlis at Cambridge, making revolutionary speeches demanding independence for India and, hinting at armed rebellion as a means of attaining it.
• On returning to India, he spent thirteen years in the service of Maharaja of Baroda, initially as an administrator and later as a teacher and officiating Principal of the State College. During these years he learnt several Indian languages including Sanskrit and made a deep study of the literature, the scriptures and, the cultural heritage of our country. He also gave expression to his ideas on political matters through his articles in the Indu Prakash of Bombay in 1893, in which he criticised the aims pursued by contemporary nationalist leaders and, put forth his own challenging and radical ideas on the subject. The British Authorities directed Sri Aurobindo to desist from publishing such articles. He then drew up his own plan for revolutionary work and took part in organising it in the Bombay Presidency and Bengal.
• The Partition of Bengal in 1905 threw him into the vortex of politics. He relinquished his post at Baroda and proceeded to Calcutta as Principal of the newly established National College at Jadavpur, where he plunged into the political turmoil with all his zeal and energy. In the Varanasi Congress of 1905 he played a leading role in the formulation of a policy for securing the Independence of our country. About this time he started the Yugantar, a Bengali daily and joined the Bande Mataram, the English daily of Bipin Chandra Pal. Through these newspapers he gave expression to his ideas of patriotism, love of freedom and sacrifice in the cause of the motherland. He published in the Bande Mataram his ideas on The Doctrine of Passive Resistance, charting out the way in which the Swadeshi and boycott movements were to be conducted. In the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress of 1906, Sri Aurobindo was first to declare openly, that "complete autonomy, free from British control" should be the aim of the freedom struggle.
• Early in May, 1908 Sri Aurobindo was arrested along with thirty eight other revolutionaries .He remained in jail as an under trial prisoner for a year and, it was during this period that he reached the turning point of his life. Even as a young boy he is slated to have had mystic intimations of his own role in the political and spiritual life of our country. The Principal of the Sate College at Baroda, an Englishman, said of him "If Joan of Arc heard heavenly voices, Aurobindo probably sees heavenly vialana. Sri Aurobinda had the realisation of Cosmic Consciousness during his incarceration and had the vision of Shri Krishna everywhere. From this point onwards he devoted himself entirely to the life of the spirit and whatever he wrote and said came from a source higher than the mind. Coming out of jail in 1909, he left British India and reached Pondicherry, then a French possession, on the 4th April, 1910. It was here, that his ashram was established. In the beginning it was not a planned institution but it grew as disciples came to him from all parts of the world to live in the ashram and learn his yoga. On the 29 March, 1914, a French lady reverently known as "The Mother arrived in Pondicherry and joined Sri Aurobindo in his work. From the ashram, the voice of Sri Aurobindo reached the entire world through periodicals, books, essays and poems, revealing new truths about man's destiny.
• The sequence of his thoughts has since come out in several books such as, The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, Essays on the Gira, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unizy, The Foundations of Indian Culture, The Future Poetry. The Upanishads etc. Sri Aurobindo's greatest spiritual work in poetry is the epic Savior which has 23,813 lines of verse.
• Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry consists today of an international community of fourteen hundred people. The Sri Aurobindo  Society, World Union and the Sri Aurobindo International Centrer Education are some of the institutions inspired by him and which propagate his message.
• Sri Aurobindo left his mortal frame on the 5 December, 1950 but the work that he initiated continues under the guidance of The Mother.

• The purpose of the Children's Day is to remind all adults of their responsibility towards children. The Children's Day in India is celebrated on the 14 November - the birthday of late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.
• The theme for this year as suggested by the International Union for Child Welfare is "Children and Peace with the sub-title "How programmes for children contribute to the world's peace". Programmes that meet the needs of children at every stage of their development are the best possible contribution to the world's peace. The children of today are the citizens of tomorrow and with them lies the future ofmankind. Healthy and happy children are our strongest foundation.

• The year 1887 constitutes an important landmark in the history of international telegraph services between Europe and India. Prior to 1887, there was no direct telegraph communication between India and Europe. There were several independent telegraph lines in different countries : messages had to be repeated many times with the result that they often took weeks in transmission and reached their destination in an altogether unintelligible and mutilated state. The great need for a quick and reliable telegraphic communication between England and India could only be satisfied by a line through Prussia  Russia and Perala planned as a connected whole, and under an undivided management. The transcontinental line was conceived by Werner von Siemens of Germany. He translated his vision into reality by raising funds and obtaining  political imprimatur from Russia, Persia and the other link countries. He began erecting the line in 1867. In spite of great and unexpected obstacles, the line was completed by the end of 1869.Compared with today's sophisticated telecommunication techniques, the line was a very simple affair. It was essentially an open wire system, but it took 68,706 poles of pine, oak and iron and three full years to complete is .It excited great astonishment when at the first official experiment. Calcutta and London conversed with each other along a line of nearly seven thousand miles as quickly and as surely as between two neighbouringtelegraph stations. The lines survived floods, earthquakes, wars and other disasters, it provided good and efficient service right up to 1931, when it was taken over by the Postal Administrations in the countries through which it ran. Even today. part of the original line operates in Persia.

Denomination : 2 & 14 anna

• The Fifteenth Annual Conference of the Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA) will be held in New Delhi from January 24 to 29, 1966. The Conference will be preceded by a two-day seminar on   tourism.
• PATA is an important international organisation whose main objective is to develop, promote and Incilitate travel to and within areas of the Pacific and the Orient.
•  It was the initiative of Louis Thurston, a leading newspaper publisher of Honolulu that brought PATA into existence in 1951 with 44 founder members. PATA's first Conference was held in January 1952 in Honolulu and in 1953 its headquarters were established in San Francisco. The promotional activities of PATA are centralised in the Executive Director who functions in accordance with the policies laid down at Annual Conferences A forty-member Board of Directors is elected every year from among PATA's 750 members, which includes representatives of national travel organisations, air and steamship lines, leading hotels, publishers with special interest in travel, travel agencies and organisations with active interest in the Pacific travel industry. The President is always elected from among the active government members of the area in which the annual conference is held.
• PATA is primarily interested in promotion of travel to the Pacific area from the U.S.A. & Europe. In this it is aided by the various PATA branches, particularly those in London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle. Paid media advertising, regular release of travel stories and feature articles to newspapers, photo and editorial contests and all other recognised devices of sales promotion are employed by PATA to promote tourism in the Pacific area. Besides, PATA publishes its own monthly magazine, Pacific Travel News, which is widely distributed among members of the travel Industry India , which was only an associate member since 1957, became a full-fledged active member of PATA in 1984. At the 13th Annual Conference held in Sydney, India invited PATA to hold its15th Session  in  New Delhi. This invitation was accepted at the 14th Conference in 1965 and India's Director General of Tourism was elected the year's President of PATA.

Denomination   : 5 & 15 nP

• The High Court of Judicature at Allahabad was constituted by the Letters Patent issued on 17th March, 1868. It is the fourth oldest High Court and the biggest in India.

• Originally the High Court, then known as the High Court for the North-Western Provinces sat at Agra from 1868 to 1868. In 1869 it moved to Allahabad in a building on the Sarojini Naidu Marg, and then to the present building on the Hastings Road. The foundation of the present building was laid on ah March, 1911 and opened by the then Viceroy & Goveror General of India on 27 November, 1916. With the increase in the number of judges, new wings have been added and a separate Advocate's Block has been constructed. The two Courts, the Oudh Chief Court and the Allahabad High Court were amalgamated on 26" of July, 1948. The Court made a modest beginning in 1866 with five Judges. The total number of Judges is now 38. 

• The first Indian Judge elevated to the Bench of this Court was Mr. Justice Mahmood and the first Indian Chief Justice was Sir Shah Mohammad Suliman. The Court has had a glorious past with a galaxy of eminent Judges such as Morgan Stanley, Mahmood, Edge, Henry Richards, Lindsay Suliman, P. C. Banerji, Lal Gopal Mukerji and many others. The Bar of this Court occupies a place of pride. The names of eminent lawyers like PL. Ayodhya Nath, Munshi Hanuman Prasad, Sir Sundar Lal, Pt Moti Lal Nehru and Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru are enshrined in the annals of the Court. The first Prime Minister of India, PL Jawahar Lal Nehru, was a member of the Allahabad High Court Bar. Pt Moti Lal Nehru. Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru and Rajarshi P. D. Tandon played active part not only in the struggle for freedom but also in the social and educational uplift of the country. Some of the members of the Bar such as Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Pt Jagat Narain Mulla and Dr. Kailas Nath Katju have held high and exalted offices in the Central and State Governments, and Shri Gopal Swarup Pathak was then present Union Minister for Law during the issuance of this stamp.

• Established in 1946 by a Resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations to assist programmes for the benefit of children and adolescents  in countries which were victims of aggression health  purposes generally, the United  Nations Children's Fund has, today, became an integral part of the world-wide  campaign to ensure a better future to the rising generation. By now the UNICEF assists health, nutrition and welfare programmes in nearly 100 countries. This work is financed through voluntary contributions from Governments and donations from the public.
• Prominent on the lists of UNICEF projects is assistance to various countries for building and expanding their basic Maternal and Child Welfare services. This includes basic and permanent health and services for children, especially nutrition and health centres and the training of national personnel to plan and operate these services.
• Equally important are the UNICEF assistance programmes for the control of communicable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, yaws, trachoma and leprosy. The UNICEF is however not concremed merely with the control of disease as such, but aims at achieving higher standards of well-being among children, through better nutrition. This includes supplementary feeding schemes, milk conservation, development of protein-rich foods and education of families in better nutritional practices.
• UNICEF has also sponsored programmes of emergency aid for relief of children and mothers in times of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and drought.
• The aim of the Fund, in short, is not merely to provide curative measures against diseases, but to seek a way to the future, when every child lives and grows within a family unit, which is, in turn, food healthy and contented community.
• The paths to this end are many, beset with difficulties, sometimes overwhelming, but by beginning with these programmes which bring help to large numbers through simple measures, much had been archieved by UNICEF since it first started functioning. The people themselves are now demanding and working for better conditions for their children, and Governments all over the world recognize to provision for social welfare is an investment that they cannot afford to ignore. The creation of this consciousness among the people is reflected in the UNICEF policy of participating in a project only when requested to do so by a Government which contributes a matching expenditure on the project.
• In the words of Shrimati Vijay Lakshmi Pandit when she was the President of the United Nations General Assembly," The Fund is one of the most vivid examples within the framework of the United Nations of international cooperation for peaceful purposes. Its value lies not only in the lives saved but in the entire communities which it strengthens and in the faith in the United Nations which it establishes and renews wherever it operates".

• Alive, his was a world presence; no more, he 'lives on, without visible symbol, woven into the stuff of other men's lives.
• Gandhiji taught a people in bondage to hold their heads high, Nehru led them by the arm to move with dignity from one era into another, and, as a people, Indians followed him with pride and faith, but Jawaharlal, the visionary, kept reminding himself, 'I have miles to go before I sleep'.
• Nehru's influence on the minds of men has always been profound and permanent. His thoughts invariably rose beyond the realm of dogma and his is a language we understand. We read and re-read the story of his life and struggle in his own words. His powerful voice for peace and friendship still rings in our ears. We treasure his loyalty and affection, his courage and wisdom, his candour and acumen, his deep sense of history and, above all, his vision and ideal of a new society. He endures as an example of love for freedom and co-operation. The values he lived and worked for remain part of the heritage of man.
• The favourite child of the Indian people, he is a part of all mankind. He lives on in the hearts of the millions he chose to serve. The vivid impression of his rich personality will be conveyed undimmed from generation to generation, and the flame of his noble spirit, one with the soul of India, shall ever burn brightly, steadily and gently.

• Alive, his was a world presence, no more, he lives on, without visible symbol, woven into the stuff of other men's lives.
• Gandhi taught a people in bondage to hold their heads high: Nehru led them by the arm to move with dignity from one era into another, and, as a people, Indians followed him with pride and faith but Jawaharlal, the visionary, kept reminding himself, I have milles to go before I sleep.
• Nehru's influence on the minds of men has always been profound and permanent. His thoughts invariably rose beyond the realm of dogma and his is a language we understand. We read and re-read the story of his life and struggle in his own words. his powerful voice for peace and friendship still rings in our ears. We treasure his loyalty and affection, his courage and wisdom, his candour and acumen, his deep sense of history and, above all, his vision and ideal of a new society. He endures as an example of love for freedom and co-operation. The values he lived and worked for remain part of the heritage of man.
• Thefavourite child of the Indian people, he is a part of all mankind. He lives an in the hearts of the millions he chose to serve. The vivid impression of his rich personality will be conveyed undimmed  generation to generation and the flame of his noble spirit, one with the soul of India, shall ever burn brightly, steadily and gently.

• On the 1st August, 1960, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru declared in the Lok Sabha that it had been decided to create a new 16" State within the Indian Union known as "Nagaland". The State of Nagaland was formed on the 1st December, 1963.The creation of the State of Nagaland is the consummation of the policy laid down by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru that the tribal areas should have as much freedom and autonomy as possible so that they can live their own lives according to their customs and desires." Pt. Nehru had always taken a profound interest in the tribal people and showed great affection for them. He frequently spoke about the spirit in which they should be administered and developed. Thus, when a Naga delegation went to see him in New Delhi, he said "not only Naga territory there but the whole of India is their It is their duty to build up their local area along with the whole of India and preserve their customer and language within the Integrity and unity of India.

• "Nagaland which is divided into three districts -Kohima, Mokokchung and Tuensang - with its administrative headquarters at Kohima, is a long narrow strip of hills running more or less parallel to the south or left bank of the Brahmaputra. The entire country is covered with ranges of hills which sometimes break into a wild chaos of spurs and ridges and sometimes, as round Kohima, descend with gentler slopes. The inhabitants of the State - Nagasare a fine set of people, strong and self-reliant with a free and independent outlook, characteristic of highlanders everywhere, good to look at with an unerring instinct for colour and design, friendly and cheerful with a keen sense of humour, and a love for song and dance".

• At around the beginning of this century there was a certain disenchantment with the approach of the older and more moderate group of nationalists. The Partition of Bengal in 1905 catalysed the wave that carried our National Movement to its new phase with its emphasis on Swaraj, Swadeshi and Boycott.
• Tilak's thundering proclamation on Swaraj and the cries of "Vande Mataram rekindled national pride. For the first time the common man boldly stepped out in the current of our National Movement. The youth of India responded enthusiastically to the call of independence from foreign rule. The charged mood of the times was later summed up by Jawaharlal Nehru, who wrote in his Autobiography - .....For the first time since  the Revolt of 1857 India was showing fight and not submitting tamely to foreign rule - Almost without an exception we were Tilakites.....".On the economic front the emphasis on Swadeshi proved to be a boon, cottage industry prospered and large-scale enterprises were also set up. Tilak spread the message of self-confidence and self-reliance. He helped to widen the social base of our National Movement.
• Upon the death of this great son of India, in 1920, Mahatma Gandhi wrote". The roar of the lion is hushed. For us he will go down to the generations yet unborn as a member of modern India...." His bravery, his simplicity, his wonderful industry and his love of his country inspire us even today.
• Text: Courtesy: Implementation Committee for Commemoration of 40 Anniversary of India's Independence & Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Centenary.

• By designating the year 1967 as the International Tourist Year, the United Nations General Assembly, in its XXI Session, has given to Tourism the recognition and the fillip it richly deserves. The U.N. Resolution, sponsored at the suggestion of the International Union of Official Travel Organisations, has been enthusiastically acclaimed by all the member-countries, particularly by India, where the people love to share the myriad jays of their sun-lit land with the tourist from abroad.
• Vast and diverse, India has something special to offer everyone, for the natural scientist, the rich variety of her flora and fauna; for the archaeologist, the carefully preserved relics of her hoary past; for the artist, the treasured pieces of art dating back to thousands of years, the marvels of sculpture and the imperishable frescoes surviving the ravages of time, the towering temples of stone which only craftsmen moved by a religious passion could have built; the Taj, the greatest monument to love ever created; the scores of architectural gems strewn over practically every region; the exquisite workmanship in metal, clay and precious stone; the fabulous handmade brocades and silks, for the hunter, an endless variety of big and small game; for the tourist in search of tranquillity is the scenic splendour of India, the snow-clad peaks, the rugged ranges smiling on the open valleys, the rivers and the green fields, the blue sky and the brilliant sunshine, and finally, the people, drawn from different racial stocks fused into one nation; the ordinary man with his simple sense of art and beauty, his love of song and music, his patience and fortitude and his striving to catch up with modern age. Thus our country has everything to offer for a discerning tourist.

•  Both are dedicated to the realization of spirituality through the service of man, irrespective of caste, creed, race and sect, under the inspiring motto coined by Vivekananda: ATMANO MOKSĀRTHAM JAGADDHITYA CHA-'For the freedom of the Self and welfare of the World'.

• (x) "Sangeet Sudhakar by Kashinath Shashtri Appa Tulsi
• (Xi) "Sangeet Kalp Drumankura by Kashinath Shashtri Appa Tulsi
• (xii) "Raga Chandrika" by Kashinath Shashtri Appa Tulsi
• (xiii)"Raga Chandrika Sar (Hindi).

• The state take steps to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government - The Constitution of India. Panchayati Raj is the fulfilment of this directive principle of State policy enshrined in the constitution. It aims at bringing the democratic method of functioning into the day-to-day activities of the village community. It is a system of grass-root democracy, which seeks to link the individual family in the rematest village with the Central Government. The basic unit of self-government is, of course, the family. But the spheres of social activity, which demand collective action of the entire village community, have to be left to an organisation - the village panchayat. The basic philosophy of the Panchayati  Raj system is that the Panchayat must draw its strength and sanction from the village people as a whole working in cooperation with self-government bodies at higher levels in an organic setup. The Panchayat constitutes the basic of a three-tier system of self-governing institutions located at black and district levels. The Panchayatee Raj system  had been making steady progress throughout the country and by the end of 1961, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mysore, Madras, Orissa and Punjab and Uttar Pradesh had implemented the necessary Panchayati  Raj legislation and Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra had enacted i It was expected that all the states of the Union would have implemented the scheme by the middle of 1963. The village Panchayat, the basis of the three tier system, is a statuary body elected by the entire adult population of the village constituting what is known as Gram Sabha. Village Panchayati or the village councils have functioned effectively in the village for times immemorial and Panchayat Raj seeks to give this traditional form a new content and a new vitality to make it an effective instrument for the tasks of the present. The village Panchayat is vested not only with the responsibility of self-government in municipal sense, but also with the responsibility of implementation at the village level of all the development programmes. Responsibilities and activities, which fall outside the scope of the village panchayat, are taken care of by the Panchayati Samiti at the Block level. All the money provided in the Community Development Block budget and the moneys made available by different development departments are pooled at the level of Panchayat Samiti, which is the effectiveunit for planning and development. It draws up the plans and ensures their implementation in colaboration with and through the village Panchayat in jurisdiction. The Panchayat Sammities is linked to the Zia Parishad, which at the district level provides the necessary guidance in technical and administrative matters. The Zila Parishad is, in effect, the co-coordinating and supervising body. It also prepares the development plans for the entire district on the basis of the plans prepared by the Sammities .Panchayati Raj is the means to community development. In concrete terms, this development programme means increasing agricultural production, promotion of rural industries and co-operative institutions, and utilization of all available resources in different development programmes, to the maximum extent. Panchayati Raj aims at providing adequate assistance to the economically weaker sections of the village community, dispersal of authority, and initiative with special emphasis on the role of voluntary organizations, progressive improvement in the ability of both officials and non-officials to handle problems of rural development, the creation of understanding and harmony between the people's representatives and the people's servants and the spirit of co-operative self-help in the community. The community Development programme which was started in October 1952, as a programme of aided self-help has now become an integral part in fact the operational philosophy of Panchayati Raj.

• The 20th Congress of the International Chamber of Commerce meets in New Delhi on the 8 February 1985, to discuss World Progress Through Partnership. The Congress is held every two years and is a meeting ground for representatives of the leading industrial, commercial and financial enterprises of the world. The last Congress was held in Mexico in the year 1963.
• The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) was established in 1919 with the task of representing and promoting private enterprise throughout the world with the basic aim of increasing world trade. The ICC has long established working relationships with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and other inter-governmental organisations such as, GATT, OECD, the World Bank, the IMF, the Customs Co-operation Council etc. Another important role that the ICC seeks to fulfil is in the removal of those differences in business practices which can be an obstacle to trade. One of the main achievements of the ICC is the 22-point trade expansion programme submitted in 1963.

• It is the second in the series of India  Postage commemorating a century, the first being the Geological Centenary issue brought out in 1951. There are many other countries in the world, which have brought out special postage stamps with railroads as their theme.

• In 1896, the beautiful city of Bombay was suddenly attacked by an epidemic of bubonic plague. The people grew panicky and the rest of the country became concerned. Thousands of people fell victim to the disease and died and many more fled from the city. At this critical moment, Waldemar Mordecal Wolff Haffkine came to Bombay from Calcutta to launch a struggle against the epidemic. 
• Little is known of Haffkine's childhood. He was born on the 16 March 1360 in the Russian seaport of Odessa which was then an intellectual and commercial centre of Russia. He graduated in science at the University of Odessa in 1884.During the next four years, he was attached to the zoological museum of his native town. At the age of 28, Haffkine became Assistant Professor of Physiology at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Louis Pasteur, the father of the science of microbiology invited him to join the Pasteur Institute in Paris. He worked with the Russian scientist Metchnikoff whose work on the cellular defence mechanism of human bodies against microbial diseases stands even today as an outstanding contribution in the field of immunology, Haffkine's early association with these scientists of eminence greatly contributed in shaping his future activities. At the Pasteur Institute, his greatest interest was to develop a vaccine against cholera, another deadly disease, which was taking a heavy toll of human life at that time. He successfully invented a cholera vaccine and came to India in March 1893 to undertake its practical trials. Within a year, the vaccine against cholera became very popular and later it was accepted all over the world as an effective means of preventing the disease. 
• On arriving in Bombay on the 7th October 1896, he realized that if one had to control the epidemic of plague, it was necessary to develop a vaccine without losing further time.. He immediately started worked at the Petit Laboratory at the Grant Medical College.
• The first hurdle he successfully crossed was the growing of plague bacilli  in small glass containers. Once this was achieved, the preparation of Plague Vaccine became easier. On the 10 January, 1897,haffkine's inoculated himself, publicly, with the newly developed Plague Vaccine just to demonstrate the harmlessness of the product. He thus laid the foundation of plague prophylaxis which benefitted  millions people. The method of the preparation of the Plague Vaccine has, by and large, remained almost the same as it was about five decades back. For his outstanding contribution in the field of  research  and public health practices, the then Government of India conferred upon him the title of the C.I.E. He retired from India in 1914 and settled down in France. His colourful career came to an end on the 26 October 1930.
• Haffkine was not only an eminent scientist but also a person of unusual charm and dash. He had a strong personality and a lovable character. He lived a fruitful life helping in freeing mankind from the  terrors of  cholera and plague, two of the deadly diseases which took a heavy toll of human life during his life time. Perhaps the greatest tribute which our country men have paid to him is by naming after him the Bacteriological Laboratory at Bombay which he established. The Haffkines Institute, Bombay, has extended his ideas and thought by fruitful researches in the field of communicable diseases.

• "Scouting le a game for boys, under the leadership of boys. In which elder brothers can give their younger brothers healthy environment and .Scouting which has now become so popular and widespread started in 1907 when Baden Powell ran his first experimental camp with a group of boys at Brown Bea Island off the south coast of England The movement spread to various parts of the world and had a phenomenal success within a short time".  
• In India, isolated groups came to be started around 1910. There was, however, no organisation to knit them together. The three major associations, The Boy Scouts Association in India, The Hindusthan Scouts Association and the Girl Guides Association which were doing good work in various parts of the country were united under one organisation in 1950-51. The name of the amalgamated association is The Bharat Scouts & Guides. Though the national organisation is unified for boys and girls, the Scout Section is affiliated to the Boy Scouts World Bureau and the Guide Section to the World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts.
• The movement is divided into three major branches according to the age groups, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. The Cub/Bulbul for boys/girls of 7 to 11 years, the Scouts/Guides for bays/girls of 11 to 17 years and the Rovers Rangers for boys/girls of 17 to 23 years. There are also six special branches of the movement viz. Scouts/Guides, Deep Sea Scouts, Sea Scouts. Air Scouts, Senior Scouts and Former Scouts/Guides. The movement imparts training and offers practice in carrying out its Ten Low: The Law of Honour, Loyalty, Usefulness, Friendship. Courtesy, Kindness to animal Obedience, Cheerfulness, Thrift and Cleanliness both in body and mind. The boy or girl has to live up to the following pledge: "To do my duty to God and my country To help other people at all times To obey the Scout Guide  Law".

• Philosopher, educationist, diplomat who recently retired as the head of the world's largest democracy - the world is familiar with Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan as a symbol of resurgent India. His has been among the commanding voices - a voice that admonishes, that warns, that soothes. Pronouncing anathema on a society which is acquisitive in its nature, unhealthy in its pleasures, disillusioned in its ideals, he enunciated the transcendental idealism of his faith thus: "Not justice, but love - spontaneous, uncalculating - is the deepest fact of the universe." 
• Born on 5th September, 1888, at Tiruttani near Madras, Dr. Radhakrishnan was educated at Tirupati, Vellore and Madras. From the very beginning of his academic career, he shows signs of exceptional brilliance and deep discernment. He started his career as an Assistance Professor of Philosophy in Presidency College, Madras; later he was appointed University Professor at Mysore and then at Calcutta. He subsequently proceeded to England and America. His lectures on "An Idealist View of Life" to large audience at the Universities of London and Manchester were hailed as a great event in that country. His deep erudition, brilliant exposition and mastery of Eastern and Western thought combined with his scintillating powers of speech left a lasting impression. 
• Although honour after honour was showered upon him, he never lost his two cardinal qualities -serenity and sweetness. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the Andhra and Banaras Hindu Universities. In 1936 he had the unique distinction of being appointed Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford University. This was followed by his election as Fellow of the British Academy. In 1948, he was appointed Chairman of the University Education Commission, and in 1952 he was unanimously elected President of the General Conference of UNESCO. In 1954, the Government of India conferred on him the highest title of Bharat-Ratna. From 1949 to 1952, Dr. Radhakrishnan served as India's ambassador to the Soviet Union with remarkable success. His uncontested election in 1952 as the Vice President of the newly-born Republic of India amply demonstrated the high esteem in which he was held throughout the country. This was a prelude to his election as the President of India on 13th May, 1962. As the Head of State, Dr. Radhakrishnan brought unique distinction to his high office. The Daily Telegraph of London paid a remarkable tribute to him on June, 1963 on the occasion of his visit to London. "No living Head of State in the world approaches his intellectual distinction. In his writings he has been the outstanding interpreter to the West, of the thoughts of the East concerning the ultimate mystery of man. That such a man should have been elevated by a great people to the first place in its policy, rather than one immersed in the controversies of politics, is remarkable evidence that India sees society, of which the President is the supreme representative, as something greater than, and including, the State.
• Thus, we find in a country contemporaneously swayed by the spiritual splendour of Sri Aurobindo, the intellectual effulgence of Rabindranath Tagore, the moral grandeur of Mahatma Gandhi and the political dynamism of Jawaharlal Nehru, Radhakrishnan emerging as a great cultural ambassador in his own right. The contributions of Dr. Radhakrishnan whether as an academician, or as a writer and speaker, or as a philosopher, or as a diplomat, or as the President, have been unique. But whatever the avocations, his activities have always centred round the values of Truth, Beauty and Goodness Whether it was Montevideo, India or Paris, his voice was always raised in defence of the rights of man and the vindication of the principles which alone can assure peace. By speech and conducts, he sought to uphold those ideals which alone give grace and dignity to human life. The following advice which he gave to the alumni of the University at Banaras epitomises his desire for a new social order which alone can ensure material contentment and healthy growth: "Wherever men love reason, shun darkness, turn over towards light, praise virtue, despise meanness, hate vulgarity, kindle sheer beauty, wherever minds are sensitive, hearts generous, spirits free, there is your country."

• The history of a nation is to a great extent, the history of its great men and women Our country has produced remarkable personalities, in every walk of life, through its long and chequered history. "It la undeniable, writes Prof. Banerjee, the noted historian "that Guru Gobind Singh must be counted among the greatest of Indians of all ages. Gobind Rai (as he was known at birth), the only son of the ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur, was born at Patna in the year 1686. During his adolescence he learnt Sanskrit, Hindi, Punjabi, Persian and Arabic. What interested him even more was archery and shooting.
• When Gobind was only 9 years old, a deputation of Brahmins came to his father Guru Tegh Bahadur to seek his intercession as the Emperor Aurangzeb had embarked on a policy of religious persecution. It was left to Tegh Bahadur to take up the challenge. His exhortation to the people to stand firm was not liked by the Mughal Government Aurangzeb got him arrested and finally ordered his execution in Delhi on his refusal to embrace Islam. Having witnessed the tyranny and oppression of Aurangzeb and the martyrdom of his father, Gobind knew clearly what his mission in life would be. He thus wrote of his mission, I came in the world charged with the duty to uphold the right in every place, to destroy aim Mand evil...that the good may live and tyrante be torn out of their roots."
• Early in 1699, he decided to proclaim his life's mission. In a huge gathering at Anandpur thousands of men and women received the baptism of the sword at his hand. .0In his new order the Khalsa-he abolished caste and customs, old rituals and outmoded beliefs. He proclaimed complete quality between man and man. Men of al castes were made to eat from the same bowl. He said "Men quarrel over set, dress, ritual and over caste, community and creed and have thus torn man from man, My masion is to restore mankind to a single brotherhood." He thus raised an army of soldier-saints who would wield arms only in a righteous cause. His motto was "Manas  ki Jat sab ek hi pahchano"- Know all mankind as one caste. He told the gathering "I'll call myself Gobind Singh only if I can make the meek sparrowa pounce upon the hawks and tear them; only if one combatant of my force equal a lakh and a quarter of the enemy." Thus a new people was born -bearded, beturtaned, fully armed and with a crusader's zeal to establish a new order.
•  Having created a militant force Guru Gobind Singh and his men repulsed a number of attacks by the Mughal army inflicting heavy losses on the Imperial forces. Emperor Aurangzeb finally decided to destroy the Guru and his followers and ordered the despatch of all available troops. Though outnumbered, the Guru and his men defended the fort at Anandpur and inflicted heavy losses on the Mughal army. The Mughal army finally decided to cut off supplies to starve the Guru and his men to submission. The Guru's two youngest sons while being led out to safety, were captured by the Nawab of Sir hind and brutally murdered. The Guru's mother died of shock on hearing the news. The Guru's two elder sons also died valiantly fighting the Mughal army at Chamkaur. The Guru had in the meanwhile escaped from Anandpur and on getting information about his two young sons and his mother he dug out a shrub with his knife and said, "Just as I have torn this shrub from its roots so shall this tyrannous empire be destroyed, root and branch."
• Guru Gobind Singh having suffered military reverses, was advised by Aurangzeb to surrender. In reply the Guru wrote in Persian the zafarnana' or 'The Letter all Victory to Aurangzeb. This letter breathes defiance and contempt for earthly power, yaked to tyranny and sin, and lays down the eternal rule that he alone wins in the end whose cause is just.
• In 1707 the Guru departed towards the Deccan via Rajputana. It appears it was the Guru's wish to integrate his forces with those of the Rajputs and the Marathas and give decisive battle to the Mughals. It was at Nanded that the Guru passed away at the young age of forty-two after being stabbed with a dagger by a hireling of the Nawab of Sirhind. 
• Despite his short span of life he occupies an outstanding position in the chequered history of our country not only because of his military successes but for his work in the social and ethical spheres.
• Latif the famous historian says of Guru Gobind Singh, "He was a law giver in the pulpit, a champion in the field, a king on his 'masnd  "and a faqir in the society of the Khalsa.
• " Dr. Gokul Chand Narang another historian has said, "Though he did not actually break the shackles that bound held nation, he had set their souls free, and filled their hearts with a lofty longing for freedom and ascendancy.

• The rapid growth of population is a world problem of the utmost gravity. In India, where inadequate food supplies are a serious threat to development, the result of the population explosion can be especially acute. This can whittle down all our efforts towards betterment and be a source of ill health and unhappiness to the individual families. In mid-1966, India's population passed the 500 million mark, and it is growing at the rate of more than 12 million a year. India's population is the second largest in the world; it comprises 14% of the world's population, yet, this population must be supported on 2.4% of the world's land area.
• The Government of India recognised the threat of overpopulation and launched the world's first official Family Planning Programme in 1952. Together with the need for increased food production, Family Planning took its place at the very centre of the development effort. A nationwide organisation is being built and large sumns have been allocated to this high priority programme. Every proved contraceptive method is being promoted. A widespread mass education programme is underway. Training and research centres in al aspects of the programme have been established. The overall objective of the programme is to achieve a reduction in the country's annual birth rate from 40 per thousand to 25, in the next 10 years. The cooperation and active participation of all the people in this National Task is of the utmost importance.

• The Jawaharlal Nehru Centenary Commemoration is a dedication to one of the key figures of this century and to the eternal spirit of India which he embodied. 
• Jawaharla  Nehru was a valiant fighter for the people of India. All his life, Jawaharlal Nehru was at the centre of the freedom movement and the mainspring of the progressive forces which have transformed our age. As Gandhi's foremost disciple he provided the leadership, the intellectual rationale and the driving force around which the struggle for freedom unfolded. He consistently strave for the awakening of India and the gradual build up to the democratic upsurge.
• After Independence, as India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru devoted himself to the task of transforming India into a modern State, firmly grounded on a democratic base and wedded to the ideals on which the freedom struggle itself had been fought-national integration, secularism, socialism and universal welfare. An economy almost agrarian was rapidly transformed. A comprehensive infrastructure was established for Sustained economic and industrial growth. A new thrust was given to the generation of the scientific temper. Community development programme was initiated to take the fruits of development to the remotest comer of India and above all, an awareness was created of India's in hale strength and potential. A fledgeling State became under his tender care, an important member of the comity of nations.
• Text: Courtesy:- Implementation Committee for Commemoration of the 40 Anniversary of India's Independence and the Jawaharlal Nehru Centenary.

• The reason for the longevity of The Times of India, perhaps, is that long ago it became a veritable institution through which news and reports, opinion and analysis, concepts and comments passed and in the most recent and historically conscious era of India's long existence, sedimented, separated, formalised and acquired body as they made their hurried journey through the institutional filters. Events shaped The Times of India, but The Times of India played an important part in shaping the memories of these events. 
• As a leading newspaper of record the material The Times of India has carried has always been seen as being of significance not only for the day but even for posterity, news, pictures ,cartoons commentary, editorial view point readers' opinions, even advertisements, have been perceived to have had a longer validity than would be indicated by their appearance in a daily broadsheet. Indeed, The Times of India has had a presence which has been more than that of a simple daily, it has been perceived as an institution in national life.
• The Times of India has changed over 150 years of its existence. But none of these changes have taken away from its image as a sober, reliable "newspaper of record". The Times of India has been in the vanguard of Indian journalism and as such it has sought to perform in a considered and responsible manner the important role that the press has in a democratic society.    
• After 150 years of positive and constructive engagement with the processes that shape India. The Times of India continues to remain a leading newspaper and is a champion of the cause of the free press. The issue of a befitting stamp is a tribute to the historic role of The Times of India.
• Text, courtesy: The Times of India.
  

Denomination   :   15 naye paisa

• "The passing away of Jawaharlal Nehru marks the end of an epoch in the life of our nation. Yet the ideals for which he worked and the values for which he stood will abide for all time to come. We find ourselves today overwhelmed with grief and a sense of loss. But we would not be true to his memory if we give ourselves to despair and uncertainty. Let us keep alive his torch, which he lit for the freedom and progress of the country, and unswervingly follow the path, which he has lighted for us. May his memory remain evergreen with us - an inspiration for achieving the goal, which he has set before the country and the people. He did not fail us, let us not fail him." (Message by S. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister House, New Delhi, 9th June, 1964). 

• "Pandit Jawaharlal Nehruji's memory will be cherished by a grateful world as long as humanity lives. But we whom he has left desolate strive to seek solace to fill the aching void. It is for this that we think in terms of tangible steps like memorials and monuments to remain ourselves of what he lived for and to feel some nearness to him again. This commemorative stamp is such humble tribute to his memory. But his real memorial will be if we carry on his work as he would have wanted us to do, and so conduct ourselves that we would have been proud of us." (Message by Lal Bahadur Shastri, Communication and Law Minister of India, New Delhi, 7.6.1964.

• "The Posts and Telegraphs Department offers its homage to our great leader on his passing away. The stamp, which we are bringing out, is a humble effort to remind us and the world that death cannot part a leader from his people with whom destiny had bound him imperishably and whose life, therefore, remains inextricably interwoven into their texture. Death has snapped his mortal bands but his spirit will ever guide us through our long and arduous journey towards the goal he left for us. We shall be worthy of being his followers only if we keep his torch aflame by our work and devotion for the cause, which was so dear to him." (A. K. Sen, Registered No. D221 The Gazelle of India, Extraordinary Part 1 Section 1 Published by Authority No. 70, New Delhi, Friday, May 29, 1964, yaishtha 8,1836. Separate paging is given to this part in order that it may be filed as a separate compilation President Secretariat Notification, New Delhi, the 29th May 1964. No. 43-Pres.184.) The passing away of India's beloved leader and Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru on May 27, 1964, has plunged the whole nation into the profoundest grief. The country has suffered its greatest lost since the death of the Father of the nation. Jawaharlal Nehru belonged to the whole of mankind, as he belonged to the people of India and the world today mourns the departure of this great figure. A valiant fighter for the people of India, all his life, Jawaharlal Nehru was the chief architect of modern India. His entire life was dedicated not only to the ideals of national freedom, unity and solidarity but equally to those of world peace and progress. Born at Allahabad, on November 14, 1889, Jawaharlal Nehru was the son of Pandit Motilal Nehru, an eminent lawyer and one of India's greatest patriats. At the age of 15, he went to England and after two years at Harrow, studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was later called to the Bar from the Inner Temple and he returned to India in 1912. Destiny has not intended him to confine himself to the legal profession and he was drawn irresistibly towards the movement of India's freedom. His meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1916 was the coming together Of two great sources and was to prove to be a landmark in Jawaharlal Nehru's life. In the same year he was married to Kamala at , who stood by him throughout all the lays and tribulations of his life until her early death in 1936, leaving behind her only child and daughter Indira. 

• After the epochal meeting with Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and his whole family were plunged in the main stream of the freedom struggle. In 1918, he was elected Secretary of Home Rule League, Allahabad, and became a member of the all India Congress Committee of which he remained a member for the rest of his life. He was soon assisting Deshabandhu Chittaranjan Das in the enquiries into the repression that followed the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy in Punjab and by 1920 he was in close contact with the problems and aspirations of the Indian peasantry, beginning with the Kissan Agitation in Eastern U.P. In 1921 came the first of the many occasions on which he couried arrest by refusing to obey orders he considered un just. In 1923, he was arrested for disobeying orders to leave the then state of Nabha. Thus began his special association with the freedom struggle in the Indian Slate. In 1927, began his long association with the International democratic movements with his participation in the Congress of Oppressed Nationalists in Brussels as an official delegate of the Indian National Congress, which he followed up with an extensive tour of Europe and his first visit to the U.S.S.R. In 1929 he was elected President of the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress 

• The national struggle entered a new and significant phase when on the sacred banks of the Ravi the Congress took the pledge on the historic day of December 31, 1929, of complete independence as it's goal. The thirties saw Jawaharlal Nehru become the acknowledge heir to Mahatma Gandhi in between recurrent spells of incarceration and despite his preoccupations with national problems he found time also to participate in the struggle against the onslaughts of fascism in different parts of the world. He lent courageous support to the republican forces in Spain and visited the country during turbulent days. His was one of the resounding voices in the years preceding the holocaust of the Second World War, warning the democratic forces all over the world against its coming menace. The failure of the then Government of India to give the Indian people a meaningful opportunity to participate in the world struggle against fascism inexorably led to a conflict. The historic Quit India Resolution was passed by the All India Congress Committee at Bombay on August 9, 1942, and immediately thereafter Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders were imprisoned. On their release three after negotiations with the British Government began and Jawaharlal Nehru took office as Vice-President of the Executive Council when the Interim Government of India was formed on September 2, 1946. The constituent assembly met on December 9 in the same year. Events followed in rapid successions leading to the partition of India. On August 15, 1947, India and Pakistan came into being as two separate countries. On that solemn midnight when India became free Jawaharlal Nehru declared Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure but very substantially ."

          "A great disaster is a symbol to us to remember all the things of life and forget the small things of which we have thought too much. 

• As the years passed Jawaharlal Nehru lost many a trusted lieutenant and comrade in arms; undeterred he strove to build the India of his dreams. His world vision remained undimmed. He convened the Asian Relations Conferences in March, 1947 and was it's moving spirit. In 1954 he enunciated the Panch Shila, the five principles of peaceful coexistence. There were other International Conferences leading to the Bandung Conference in 1955. He gave the world the Doctrine of non-alignment, which was affirmed at the summit meeting of the non-aligned nations in Belgrade in 1961. Jawaharlal Nehru was dedicated to the ideals of the United Nations and the principles of the Charter. He addressed the third General Assembly session in Paris in 1948. His last appearance at the United Nations was in the year 1960. There he moved to a significant resolution stressing the need for world peace and urging the leaders of the great powers to renew their contacts. He was the first head of Government to support the partial test-ban pact signed by the three Nuclear Powers in August, 1963. He strove tirelessly against war and for total disarmament. He initialized and supported action for the liberation of dependent countries. He fought against the exploitation of man by a man and worked ceaselessly to bring freedom from fear a hunger not only to his own people but to the world at large. He set his face against all political and military blocs as the greatest impediments to world peace. Not the least abiding of Jawaharlal Nehru's contributions was his concept of a revolution in our national economy through planning within a democratic framework. Even before India had attained freedom, he foresaw the need for economic planning and was instrumental in setting up the National Planning Committee under the aegis of The Indian National Congress as early as in 1936. When freedom came, the earlier efforts bore fruit. The planning commission was setup and in 1951, India embarked upon her historic series of five-year plans. The acceptance of Economic Planning as a way of life by many new free nations is an eloquent tribute to his basic social and economic thinking. Jawaharlal Nehru was unremitting in his endeavour for the unity and solidarity of the Indian Nation. He struggled ceaselessly to blend the different elements of our national life into an integrated social structure. He fought against all the barriers of cast, religion and language and for the uplift of the less privileged. He constantly affirmed the secular concept of our State as necessary for all sections of the people to live together in peace and harmony.

• Jawaharlal Nehru was a distinguished man of letters. He utilised his spells in prison to write Autobiography Letters from a father to his daughter. "Glimpses of World History" and "Discovery of India" which have found a permanent place in literature. Such was the man who led this country for so many decades and administrated it so wisely for eighteen years an upholders of the noble values of human life and dignity of man. There could be no finer epitaph for Jawaharlal Nehru than that which he himself suggested in a persive  mood, with characteristic humility - "If any people choose to think of me then, I should like them to say This was a man who with all his mind and heart loved India and Indian people. And they in turn, were indulgent to him and gave all their love most abundantly and extravagantly" That loving memory the Indian people, and indeed, the people of world, will always cherish for Jawaharlal. For as Rabindranath Tagore said, "he had never fought shy of truth when it was dangerous, nor made alliance with falsehood when it would be convenient."

• Provision of access to financial services to low-income households and small businesses has been a long standing goal of Government of India. The Committee on Comprehensive Financial Services for Small Businesses and Low Income Households' had observed that on aspects of both Financial Inclusion and Financial Depth, the overall situation was very poor and, on a regional and sectoral basis very uneven. Financial Inclusion is defined as the spread of financial institutions and financial services across the country while Financial Depth is defined as the percentage of credit to GDP at various levels of the economy. Majority of small businesses have no links with formal financial institutions and close to half of the rural and urban population do not even have a functional bank account. There is high demand for a wide range of financial services by small businesses and low-income households combined with a willingness to pay for them. The challenge is clearly the ability of the formal financial system to mount a strong supply response, which needs to be strengthened considerably. It is in this context that the role of Post Office towards Financial Inclusion needs to be understood.

• The Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) founded in 1873 to promote thrift and savings, much before commercial banks made their appearance, is the sheet anchor of financial inclusion in India. With a spread across 155,000 Post Offices it has been rendering yeoman service to the nation.

• On 15 August, 2016 the Prime Minister announced the setting up of India Post Payments Bank (PPB) during his 70 Independence Day address to the nation from the Red Fort. The subsequentin corporation of the bank, grant of the final license by the Reserve Bank of India and launch of two pilot branches on 30 January, 2017 have brought to fruition the long standing quest of the Post Office to contribute its might to the formal banking sector.

• IPPB is committed to achieving the objective of financial inclusion in India. The motto of the bank, Aapka Bank Aapke Dwar' will translate into more than three lakh Postmen and Gramin Dak Sewaks providing assisted banking at door steps in rural, urban and remote areas particularly to those not familiar with technology such as the rural poor and the elderly. The bank is focussing an equipping and enabling small  merchants and vendors to accept cashless payments and thereby foster a digital acceptance ecosystem. IPPB is creating infrastructure at the last mile to strengthen and deepen DBT. The association with India Post and the Dakiya infuses trust and confidence amongst users to try out electronic banking, including UPI. IPP will make banking and payments simple. Using technology, it simplifies opening of accounts in minutes and allows customers to make digital transactions with the help of QR Cards and biometric authentication. The bank also runs financial literacy programmes to teach electronic banking to those not comfortable with information technology based applications including homemakers, farmers and workers. IPPB enables the post office to accept digital payments at counters, offer small savings schemes online (NSC/KVP/PPF) and increase its footprint in the e-commerce world by providing electronic cash on delivery options to its customers at their door step.

• In perspective, the IPPB is a seminal part of the objective of the Government of India to promote financial inclusion of the weakest and least accessed segments of the country. It is a critical building block of the Government of India's financial inclusion strategy.

• Since the nationwide launch of IPPB by the Prime Minister on 1st  September, 2018 the bank has expanded its network from 350 branches and 3250 access points to 1,19,640 access points a son 14-01-2019. In the process, the banking network of the country has doubled while the bank network has increased by 2.5 times.

• Text: Based on the information received from PBI Division, Department of Pasts.

• Fashion is a universal subject, a language understood and spoken by one and all. Fashion is one of the most popular modes of expression. It describes the ever-changing style of clothes worn by those with cultural status. Fashions vary greatly within a society over time and are affected by age, occupation, location and social class.
• India's recorded history of clothing goes back to the fifth millennium BC in the Indus Valley Civilization. India was one of the first places where cotton was cultivated and used even as early as 2500 BC during the Harappan era. The remnants of the ancient Indian clothing can be found in the figurines discovered from the sites near the Indus Valley Civilization, the rock cut sculptures, the cave paintings and human art forms found in temples and monuments. Dating back to the Mohenjo-daro civilization, the earliest preliminary version was found in the statue of Mother Goddess wearing an elaborate headgear supported by a pair of bands and a broach, tight-fitted tunic and skirt fastened with a broad waistband using a medallion like clasp. She is adomed with two necklaces, the smaller one has a set of four cylindrical pendants. The "Priest king and other stone figures are also depicted wearing a long robe over the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare. The clothing system was also related to the social and economic status of the person. The upper classes of the society wore fine muslin garments and silk fabrics while the common classes wore garments made up of locally made fabrics. 
• During the Mauryan Period, the most common attire of the people was an antariya , which they used to wear as a lower garment. A cloth was covered in lehnga style to form a tubular skirt. An embellished  long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist pleated into the antariya was called patka. As an upper garment, people's main garb was uttariya , a long scarf. The difference existed only in the manner of wearing. Textiles were dyed and printed. Resist dyeing and hand printing has been mentioned by Megasthenes as a common sight during the Mauryan period as has glazed cotton. Felting of fibres instead of weaving was also a generally used technique.
• The Mughals played a vital role in Indian Fashion and exerted a huge influence on the Indian dressing style. Men wore  jama which was considered as the main royal garb of Mughal emperors, patka to keep the jewelled sword around the waist of jama. The patka is a type of girdle made of a fine fibre which is hand painted, printed or embroidered and choose embroidered, long sleeved coats generally worn over jamas and angrakhas. Mughal women wore a large variety of ornaments from head to toe. Their costumes generally included Peshwaj, Yalek, Pajama. Churidar, Dhilija, Garara and Farshi, they all included head amaments, anklets and necklaces. This was done as a distinctive mark of their prosperity and their rank in society. Head-dresses were often worm by Mughal women and were available in various styles. Empress Nur Jahan, consort of Jahangir, epitomising beauty, wore a short sleeved long or short jacket over her kurta. While she wore it to maintain her sophistication, the outfit made a style statement.
• Awadh (the region of the modern state of Uttar Pradesh around Ayodhya, west of Varanael) has historically been among the most important regions in India, politically, religiously and socially and holds a vital position with respect to the development of Indian fashion. For centuries, the Awadhi style of dressing has intrigued fashion enthusiasts. Its fabrics, embroideires  preciso design, influene connaisseurs of fashion style enthusi The Nawabs ,who predomi nant in Awadh during the 18th unit 19 centurie particularly influenced  the evolutionar fashion The aristoacy of Lucknow spent lavishly on their dresses This had  an impact on the dresses of the courtiers and the wadhi people in general. The emphasis was not only on costumes and textiles, but also on how they were worm. 
• Indian Princely states also displayed evolution of fashion through fusion of local traditional dresses with the trends from other parts of India. For instance, for aristocratic Rajput men court dresses included angearkhi, pagdi, chudidar pyjama and a cummerbund (belt). Dhoti was also in tradition but it was warn in different styles across various princely states. This period also saw a fusion of diverse Indian attire and clothing trends infused with elements of European fashion.
• Text : Based on the material provided by Prof. Manika Walia and other sources.

• Mahamati Prannath was born on 26 October, 1618 in Jamnagar, Gujarat. His childhood name was Mehraj Thakur. His father, Keshav Thakur, was a Diwan in the state of Jamnagar. Mehraj's mother Smt. Dhanbal, was a pious lady. He was the fourth amongst their five sons.
• At an early age, Mehraj was well versed in worldly knowledge He was bold and aggressive and had good aptitude for spiritual knowledge. He came to listen to Shri Dev chandral's discourses at the early age of twelve. Shri Devchandra saw in him a great visionary who was to carry on the work of awakening the souls.
• Mehraj was with his Guru for three weeks. In this period, every aspect of spiritual political, religious and social matters, was discussed and plan for the future was drawn up. After bestowing his powers and blessings on Mehraj, Shri Dev chandra left the mortal world and assigned his job of Jagnito Mehraj. Mehraj later disclosed that Lord's consort, Shyama, working through Devchandra, had made him her instrument to perform the great task of taking the divine souls back to their abode -Paramdham.
• While  fulfilling this assigned job, Mehraj -Mahamati Pramnath-brought many changes into the Hindu society. While traveling throughout the country, he talked to many people in their language. That is the reason why there are six languages -Gujarati, Sindhi, Arabic, Persian, Urdu. Hindi and also wards from many other prevalent languages in his works called Kullam Swarup.
• In his task of promulgating the faith,Mahamati Pramnath travelled to every corner of India and to the Arab lands: Muscat Basra and to Bandar Abbas in Iran. In India he went to Junagarh, That tha nagar, Nailya. Khambhallya.In Surat he established the holy shrine of Shri Mahamangalpuri Dham.
• Mahamati Pranath never stayed in one place for long In spite of the difficulties of traveling, he moved around from place to place to awaken the divine souls. At that time, the Hindus were divided in the name of caste, creed, rituals etc. Exploitation of the poor, downtrodden and low castes was a comman feature. Women were regarded as a low species, not allowed to remarry even if they became widows at an early age. Women were not allowed to read scriptures or  to receive the sacred mantras. Sati or bride burning was in voque. Mahamati Pranath, in his travels and discourses, tried to reform the Hindu society. He gave Tartam Mantra to women. Some of them became preachers and started many centers for bringing awareness into the society.
• During his travels, Mahamati met many saints and tried to unite them so that they could face the growing tyranny of the Mughal King, Aurangzeb. He attended many religious congregations like the Kumbh in Haridwar and tried to convince many Hindu saints that instead of praying to thousands of deities, we should pray to the Lord Supreme - the Adwait Brahman. In Haridwar, many saints and learned people were impressed by his philosophy. In Haridwar, in the year Samvat 1735, the great Kumbh Mela took place and there Mahamati Prannath introduced a number of people to Nijanand Sampraday. Followers of Shiva of Shakti and of Vishnu, the Four Sects, the Dasnam, a son ,the followers of the six philosophies, all had realized the unparalleled wisdom of Mahamati Prannath.
• In  the year 1740 of the Hindu calendar, he met Maharaja Chhatrasal. Under the protection of Chhatrasal, the shrine of Padmavatipuri Dham was established and it was during his eleven years in Panna Mahamati Prannath spoke the inspired message of the Tartan Vani or Kuljam Swarup, the sacred book which is the essence of al sacred books. The Kuljam Swarup contains fourteen books in 18758 verses which were compiled by his followers, as they were spoken by the Lord. Thus the Kuljam Swarup is the most authentic scripture of the world to Pranamis. Most of the books of Kuljam Swarup are in Hindi -Hindustani, in Devnari script.
• He emphasized the oneness of the Muslim and Hindu faiths and established a universal religion - a religion for all mankind and called it "Nijanand Dharma" or the blissful religion for the souls.
• In the year 1751 of the Hindu calendar, on the fourth day of the dark half of Shravan, the fifth month, Mahamati Prannath completed his purpose in this world and prepared to reside in the Highest Abode, "Paramdham".He passed down to Maharaja Chhatrasal the task of awakening the souls.
• Besides India, the followers of Mahamati Pramnath are spread over many countries, namely- Nepal, Bhutan, USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Singapore etc. Their number exceeds five million and about six hundred centres are continuously engaged in extending their services in the field of education, social service, medical facilities, other welfare activities and spiritual awakening programmes.
• Text : Based on the information received from proponent.

• In the history of India's epic struggle for freedom, the saga of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, his patriotism, sacrifice and gallantry will forever be written in letters of gold.
• Born on January 28, 1897, the ninth child of a weal-to-do family in Cuttack, Subhas Chandra Bose gave early evidence of an intrepid spirit. At the age of 17, he left home secretly on a lone trek of the Himalayas in quest of a spiritus guru, but returned home without finding one. The teachings of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda, however, gave him the inspiration and the solace he needed.
• His words about the reason for this act of self-denial are typical of the man :"National and spiritual aspirations are not compatible with obedience to Civil Service conditions." Arriving in Bombay on July 16,1921, he called on Mahatma Gandhi who had launched, by that time, the historic non-violent campaign, known as the Non-Cooperation Movement, for freeing the country of British rule. This meeting proved to be a turning point in the life of Subhas Chandra Bose. Of this significant phase of his life Gandhiji was to say, later, in touching terms: "Netaji was like a son to me. I came to know him as a lieutenant full of promise under the late Deshbandhu Das... He preferred selfless service to selfish ambition."
• From then on, Subhas Chandra Bose rose steadily in the galaxy of the nation's leaders. Twice he became the President of the Indian National Congress, in 1938 and 1939. In the quarter of a century covered by his public life, during which he had become the stormy petrel of the Indian National Congress, Subhas Chandra Bose gathered round him the nation's youth inspired by revolutionary zeal and fire. The British authorities tried to crush him by throwing him into prison nearly a dozen it . But this only steeled him further for the ultimate defeat of the Imperialist power. His uncompromising attitude to Imperialism and his open opposition to India's participation in British war efforts led to his arrest by the British authorities after the outbreak of the Seconded but confined in his home in Calcutta and kept under close surveillance of the Secret Police. The story of his subsequent dramatic escape and his heroic exploits in the cause of the country's liberation is best described in Gandhiji's words: "Netaji by great strategy gave the slip to the guard put over him by the Government old Bengal, and by sheer courage and resourcefulness reached Kabul and passed through European countries and finally found himself in Japan, collected from scattered material an army of brilliant young-men drawn from all communities and from all parts of India. and dared to give battle to a mighty Government. A lesser man would have succumbed under the trials that Netaji went through, but he in his life verified the saying of Tulsi das that 'all becomes right for the brave'."
• This epoch of a gallant life dedicated to the country's freedom  has endered him to the nation as Netaji and enshrined him in the hearts of millions of his countrymen.
• "No greater tribute can be paid to this noble son of India than that from the Father of the Nation.
• 'Netaji's name is one to conjure with. His patriotism is second to none. His bravery shines through all his actions... .
• "His was a life full of perilous adventure and romance. His daring was unequalled.
• 'He has rendered a signal service to India by giving the Indian soldier a new vision and a new ideal.
• "The lesson that Netaji and his army bring to us is one of self-sacrifice, unity irrespective of class and community, and discipline. If our adoration will be wise and discriminating, we will rightly copy this  trinity of virtues....Then we will be able to stand erect before the world."
  

• Paika Rebellion popularly known as Paika  Bidroha" was a well organized struggle against the oppressive rule of British East India Company. Paikas were essentially the peasant militias of the Gajapati rulers of Odisha who rendered military service to the king during times of war while taking up cultivation during times of peace. Immediately after the advent of company rule in Odisha, discontent spread rapidly amongst the people of Odisha. The British were fiddling with the revenue system, bringing about land reforms that increased taxes on the land owned by the local peasants and the natives. The money lenders took advantage of this creating huge debts for the common man. In fact, the socio economic fabric of the peasants of Odisha was disturbed completely. This inked the rulers of Khurda, who protested.

• Khurda, which is twenty-five kilo metres from Bhubaneswar, was the center of the Paika Rebellion. The Paika Bidroha was an armed revolt of the traditional Paika militia in the state of Khurda in Odisha in the year 1817.It began in the month of March and sporadically and intermittently continued up to 1836 after the formal suppression of the rebellion. It was led by Jagabandhu Bidyadhar Mahapatra, who was traditionally a Buxi, military commander, under the king of Khurda. It had nearly swept away the British in Khurda, Pipill, Banapur and Purl for months before being crushed by the forces of East India Company. It was not a purely military revolt of disgruntled or demobilized soldiers but had a componentthat gave it a character of a civil uprising in which the Khurdapaikas, tribesmen, peasants, the traditional rent collectors and people engaged in native salt manufacturing an industry tottering due  to the manapaly of salt trade by the Company, all had joined. The uprising was against the unjust Company rules and set a strong tradition of defiance.

• The revolt began in March, 1817, when the Kondhs from Ghumear and the Paivas of Khurda jointly raided Banapur and attacked everything that symbolized the new Company's establishment there. Even the mahajans and sahukars advancing loan to the peasants with the sole motive of appropriating their land and other valuable materials were not spared. A 400 strong contingent of Kandh tribesmen from Ghursar crossed into Khurda, the Dalabeheras and Paikas joined them. The rebels attacked the police station and other Government buildings at Banapur. The Salt Agent of the southern division, narrow lyescaped from this popular fury. However, his boat on the Chilika Lake was captured and plundered. The rebels then marched on to Khurda. More crowds joined them on the way, because of their success at Banapur. The officials did not dare to offer any resistance. All the official buildings were burnt. The Magistrate of Cuttack moved to Khurda to control the rebellion. By the beginning of April1817,the number of rebels had swelled to about 3000. They constantly attacked the Government forces thereby forcing the Magistrate to retreat to Cuttack on 4 April, 1817.

• The rebels under the leadership of the Buxi also reached Puri and requested Mukunda Deva II, the former king of Khurda, confined to Puri, to join them and to lead the revolt. The pilgrim City, Puri, came under the control of the rebels. The cavert support of the prince in Puri gave strength and popular legitimacy to them. The Magistrate of Cuttack recommended that one the Company re-gained the control over this most important pilgrim city, the prince should be removed to Cuttack, the Company's headquarter in Odisha. A reward of Rs. 5000 was also announced on the head of the rebel sirdars on 12 April, 1817 and martial law was imposed in the entire Khurda territory.   

• On 12 April, 1817 the rebels burnt the Government cutchery and several other public buildings in Puri. In the resultant clash, 15 rebels were killed and many more were wounded. However, very soon more people joined the rebels. The priests of the temple openly proclaimed the fall of British rule and the restoration of the king's rule in Odisha. This created a mass upsure forcing the European official stationed in Puri to leave for Cuttack, where they reached on 18 April, 1817.

• By the second half of April, 1817 martial law had been prodaimed in Puri, Pigil, Lembal, Kotdeah, Khurda and Banapur. All communications between Cuttack and southem part of  the province were completely cut off. By the end of April, 1817, the British swung into action in repressive mode. An armed British contingent returned to Puri and took the prince to Cuttack as their captive. There were attempts to rescue the prince on the way. Some 2500 rebels encountered the British forces escorting the prince. The British used modern arms and scared the mass of crowd whereas the rebels had only traditional arms, which were no match to the British arms. On 11 May, 1817 the prince reached Cuttack as a Company prisoner and was placed in close confinement in the Barabati fort till his death on 30 November, 1817. Although by the end of May, 1817, the revolt had been effectively suppressed, the resistance continued to prevail thereafter in pockets.

• Text: Ms. Shaili Dhagat and as per information received from the proponent.

• Fashion is a universal subject, a language understood and spoken by one and all. Fashion is one of the most popular modes of expression. It describes the ever-changing style of clothes worn by those with cultural status. Fashions vary greatly within a society over time and are affected by age, occupation, location and social class.
• India's recorded history of clothing goes back to the fifth millennium BC in the Indus Valley Civilization. India was one of the first places where cotton was cultivated and used even as early as 2500 BC during the Harappan era. The remnants of the ancient Indian clothing can be found in the figurines discovered from the sites near the Indus Valley Civilization, the rock cut sculptures, the cave paintings and human art forms found in temples and monuments. Dating back to the Mohenjo-daro civilization, the earliest preliminary version was found in the statue of Mother Goddess wearing an elaborate headgear  supported by a pair of bands and a brooch, tight fitted tunic and skirt fastened with a broad waist band using a medallion like clasp. She is adorned with two necklaces, the smaller one has a set of four cylindrical pendants.  he "Priest-king and other stone figures are also depicted wearing a long robe over the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare. The clothing system was also related to the social and economic status of the person.  The upper classes of the society wore fine muslin garments and silk fabrics while the common casses wore garments made up of locally made fabrics.
• During the Mauryan Period, the most common attire of the people was antaria, which they used to wear as a lower garment. A cloth was covered in lehnga style to form a tubular skirt. An embellished long piece of doth wrapped around the waist pleated into the antariya was called patka. As an upper garment, people's main garb was utlariy, a long scarf.  The difference existed only in the manner of wearing. Textiles were dyed and printed. Resist dyeing and hand printing has been mentioned by Megasthenes as a common sight during the Mauryan period as has glazed cotton. Felting of fibres instead of weaving was also a generally used technique. 
• The Mughals played a vital role in Indian Fashion and exerted a huge influence on the Indian dressing style. Men wore jams which was considered as the main royal garb of Mughal emperors, patka to keep the jewelled sword around the waist of jama. The patka is a type of girdle made of a fine fibre which is hand painted, printed or embroidered and choge embroidered, long sleeved coats generally worn over jamas and angrakhas. Mughal women wore a large variety of ornaments from head to toe. Their costumes generally included Peshwaj, Yalek, Pajama, Churidar, Dhillija, Garara and Farshi, they all included head amaments, anklets and necklaces. This was done as a distinctive mark of their prosperity and their rank in society. Head-dresses were often worm by Mughal women and were available in various styles. 
• Empress Nur Jahan, consort of Jahangir, epitomising beauty, wore a short sleeved long or short jacket aver her kurta. While she wore it to maintain her saphistication, the outfit made a style statement.
• Awadh (the region of the modern state of Uttar Pradesh around Ayodhya, west of Varanasi) has historicaly been among the most important regions in India, politically, religiously and socially and holds a vital position with respect to the development of Indian fashion. For centuries, the Awadhi style of dressing has intrigued fashion enthusiasts. Its fabrics, embroideries and precisio design, influencconnais connaisseurs  of fashion style enthusi Nawabs were predominant  in Awadh during the 18th and 19th  century  particular  influenced  the evolution of  fashion The arisidancy  of Lucknow lavishly on their dress This had an impact on the dresses of the courtiers and the Awadhi people in general. The emphasis was not only on costumes and textiles, but also on how they were worn.
• Indian Princely states also displayed evolution of fashion through fusion of local traditional dresses with the trends from other parts of India. For instance, for aristocratic Reput men court dresses included angaarkhi, pagdi, chudidar pyjama and a cummerbund (belt). Dhoti  was also in tradition but it was warn in different styles across various princely states. This period also saw a fusion of diverse Indian attire and dathing trends infused with elements of European fashion.
• Text: Based on the material provided by Prof. 

• Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Tools, renamed as Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) was established in 1968 by Govt. of India with the assistance of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at Chennal. The main objective of setting up the Institute was to develop manpower in different disciplines of Plastics Engineering & Technology as no similar institute was in existence in the country then International Labour Organization (ILO) served as the executing agency.
• During the initial stages of the project between 1968 and 1973, the Institute achieved its targets and was adjudged as one of the most successful UNDP projects implemented worldwide. Today CIPET is a premier national institution under the aegis of the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Govt. of India fully devoted to Skill  Development, Technology Support Services, Academic and Research (STAR) in the field of Plastics Engineering & Technology. CIPET has extended its wings to meet the demand of plastics & allied industries for skilled manpower and technical support by upgrading the infrastructure as well as setting up new centres since 1980. 07 centres were set up during Viii th  Plan, 07 centres during VIII to X Plan, 06 centres in Xi" Plan and 16 centres (including approved) in Xii Plan. The Institute is operating through 34 centres across the country and 06 more centres are in process. The functional centres are located at Ahmedabad Amritsar, Aurangabad, Baddl. Balasore, Bengaluru, Bhopal Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Dehradun, Guwahati Gwalior Hajipur ,Haldia, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jaipur, Kochi. Lucknow, Madurai Murthai, Mysore, Raipur, Ranchi. 
• CIPET stands tall not only as a premier institute in the country but also as a global institution renowned for its Research & Development in the riche areas of Polymer Science & Technology and high quality education and skill development CIPET has been accredited with ISO 9001:2008 OMS ISOVE -17025, ISO/IEC -17020 certification an Design, Development and Conduct of specialized training courses in the field of Plastics Engineering & Technology. CIPET renders technical consultancy services in design, tooling, polymer processing and testing for the benefit of plastics and allied industry. Al the CIPET centers are equipped with excellent infrastructure facilities in the areas of design, CAD/CAM/CAE, tooling and mould manufacturing, plastics processing, testing and quality assurance. The infrastructure facilities in terms of machinery, equipments and technology are continuously upgraded and modernized in tune with needs of plastics and allied industries by Government of India.
• CIPET also plays pivotal role in generating employment opportunities especially for unemployed and underemployed youth, promoting entrepreneurs through various skill development training programs. The Institute has produced about 4 lakh operators, 50,000 technicians, 5000 engineers, with focus on socio-economically weaker sections, out of which 1.72 lakh were trained during last 3 years. After implementation of National Policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship skill development courses of CIPET have been standardized and aligned with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSOF) guidelines.
• CIPET has signed 16 MoUs with renowned institutions across the globe in order to facilitate faculty student exchange programs and collaborative research projects in the field of Polymer Science & Technology.
• CIPET offers its technology support services in all key sectors of Indian Economy including Automobiles, Aerospace, Agriculture, Building & Construction, Defence, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Information Technology, Medical Packaging, Teletronics, etc. CIPET renders Technology Support Services in Design (CAD/CAM/CAE). Tooling, Processing and Testing & Quality Assurance to the plastics and its a lied industry in India and abroad. In line with the "Make in India initiative by Govt. of India, CIPET is contributing towards development of moulds & dies, manufacturing of plastics products, import substitutes etc. All  the Plastics Testing Centres of CIPET are accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and Bureaus of Indian Standard (BIS). The faculty members of CIPET, as Technical Experts to BIS, were actively involved in the formulation of standards for plastic products manufactured by the industries. CIPET is playing a vital role and rendering Third Party Inspection Services for plastic products across the country particularly in the agriculture \irrigation sectors. 

• In an effort to encourage research and development and nurture research activities, CIPET has created an outstanding research environment that results in providing a perfect ambience for the aspiring researchers to pursue their goal. Envisioned to be a Global R&D hub, CIPET has established three exclusive R & D Units since 2008 i.e. Advanced Research School for Technology and Product Simulation (ARSTPS) at Chennai: Laboratory for Advanced Research in Polymeric Materials (LARPM) at Bhubaneswar and Advanced Polymer Design & Development Research Laboratory (APDDRL) at Bengaluru. These research centers of CIPET across the country boast of excellent infrastructure facilities at par with international standards. Recognized by Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR), Department of Science & Technology. Government of India, CIPET has successfully accomplished many R & D projects in different disciplines in the field of Plastics Engineering & Technology.
• CIPET works in close liaison with industries to implement its initiatives in the areas of polymer and allied industries in accordance with the environmental policies of the country. CIPET's sustained efforts in creating awareness on environmental issues such as plastics waste management has been very well received by the industry. It has established a model Plastics Waste Management Centre at Guwahati to train manpower for plastics recycling industries. CIPET has made significant contributions towards major initiatives of Govt. of India viz. "Skill India", "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan", "Make in India "Digital India ", "Start up India" etc. 
• Text: Based on the information received from proponent.

•  Hockey is one of the most ancient games perhaps even older than the Olympics. In the Indian subcontinent. Hockey spread with the advent of British rule in the late 19th century. The first ever hockey Club was established in Calcutta in 1885. This was followed by establishment of a number of clubs in different parts of the country. On7 November 1925 all these clubs assembled in Gwalior and formed Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). IHF got authorization from International Hockey Federation (FH) in 1927 which paved the way for India's participation in the Summer Olympic Games of 1928 at Amsterdam in which the Indian Team won the Gold Medal. This was followed by 5 consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in Hockey in Los Angeles Olympics (1932). Berlin Olympics (1936). London Olympics (1948). Helsinki Olympics (1952) and Melbourne Olympics (1956). To date, Indian Men's Hockey Team has won eight Gold , one Silver and two Bronze medals.
• The capital of Odisha. Bhubaneswar is hosting the prestigious Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 from 28 November to 16 December, 2018. The Men's Hockey World Cup is an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The tournament was started in 1971. It is held every four years, bridging the four years between the Summer Olympic.
• This is the 14"edition of the biggest tournament in Men's Hockey alongside the Olympics. It is for the third time that India is hosting this tournament starting organized it in 1982 at Mumbai  and in 2010 1 New Delhi. that India is hosting this tournament starting organized it in 1982 at Mumbai  and in 2010 at New Delhi. This year's tournament will make India only the second nation to host three World Cups, after Netherlands who hosted it on three occasions: 1973, 1998 and 2014. A total of sixteen teams from around the world are participating in the quadrennial event which is being held at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium that can house 15000 people with addition of new stands and galleries. It is only the second time in the history of the competition that sixteen teams will be competing for the title. A total of 36 matches would be played over a span of 19 days in the tournament where the sixteen teams will be divided into four Pools  of four teams each.
• Hockey India is the apex body of the country which has the sole mandate to govern and conduct al activities for both men and women hockey in India. It is recognized as the National Sports Federation by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India and is also affiliated to the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Asian Hockey Federation (AHF). Government of Odisha is the sponsor of both the Men's and Women's National Hockey Teams in a partnership with Hockey India (HI) till 2023. The craze of Hockey amongst the public in Odisha has seen the state grow into a global hub for the sport, with several players emerging to represent the Indian National team. This initiative is the first of its kind for any State Government. Government of Odisha, has partnered with FIH and Hockey India to provide their support to the sport and have been making preparations throughout the State to welcome thousands of tourists from around the world who are expected to visit to witness the action.
• Text: Based on information received from the proponent.

• Port Blair in modern times, as the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is a picturesque tourist location and serves as the gateway to pristine beaches and exotic marine for. To those interested in history, the place is a constant reminder of "Kala Paani housing the Cellular Jail as well as the stories of torture and inhuman acts meted out to the prisoners, most of them being Indian revolutionaries of the freedom struggle. The first batch of freedom fighters of First War of Independence was brought here on 10 March, 1858, thus marking the beginning of the penal settlement. Since then, the convicts brought here, mostly political prisoners, suffered life imprisonment and hard labour under cruel and degrading conditions. Many were hanged, while others died of disease and starvation. 
• The Cellular Jail, now a National Memorial is a witness to the glorious contribution of revolutionary patriots in the history of the Indian Freedom Movement. Many charismatic personalities were imprisoned here. Veer Savarkar, Ganesh Damodar Savarkar, Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Uttaskar Dutt, Indu Bhushan Roy. Prithvi Singh Azad. Trallokyanath Chakravarthy, Mahavir Singh among others, the catalogue is long and distinguished. The stories of their suffering and sacrifice for India's independence and their defiance and colour in the face of imperial oppression, have elevated the Cellular Jail to a place of pilgrimage in India's collective national memory. 
• The more significant fact however, is that Port Blair was the first Indian territory liberated from imperial British rule  In 1943-44 during World War II this territory served as the headquarters of the Azad Hind government under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The island at the time was liberated from British rule by Japan which captured it during the World War II.
• Netaji, accompanied by members of the Azad Hind Government and his staff had paid an official visit to the Andaman Islands from 29-31 December, 1943. He stayed at the former British Chief commissioner's official residence on Rosa Island. His visit followed the Japanese Prime Minister's historic declaration at the Assembly of Greater East Asiatic Nations in Tokyo on 6 November, 1943 that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands would be transferred to the Provincial Government of Azad Hind.
• On 30 December 1943 Netaji addressed a mass rally of Indians at the Gymkhana ground in front of the Andaman Club On the same day, he hosted the Tricolour for the first time at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair. He also announced the Islands as the first Indian Territory freed from the British rule.
• After the flag hoisting, Netaji visited the Cellular Jail the same afternoon. He spent two hours there going around the Indian Bastille. Describing his visit to the islands later, Netaji  said, "For Indians the return of the Andaman represents the first territory to be liberated from British yoke. By the acquisition of this territory, the provincial government has now become a national entity in fact as well as in name. The liberation of the Andamans has symbolic significance because the Andaman has always been used by the British as a prison for political prisoners. Most of the political prisoners sentenced to servitude for conspiracies to overthrow the British Government and there have been hundreds of them were looked up in this island. Like the Bastille in Paris, which was liberated first in the French Revolution, setting free political prisoners, the Andaman where our patriots suffered is the first to be liberated in India's fight for independence. 
• Netaji named Andaman Island as Shaheed" and Nicobar Island as "Swaraj". 
• Today, the place where Netaji hoisted the flag stands as a great memorial.
• Text: Sh. Pallab Bose and material provided by the proponent.

• Kumbh Mela (the festival of the sacred pitcher) is a religious pilgrimage that is celebrated four times over a course of 12 years. Kumbh Mela is anchored in Hindu mythology and is the largest public gathering and collective act of faith, anywhere in the world. The Mela draws tens of millions of pilgrims over the course of approximately 48 days to bathe at the sacred confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mystical Sarasvati. Primarily, this congregation includes ascetics, saints, sadhus, sadhvis, kalpvasis and pilgrims from all walks of life.
• The origin of Kumbh Mela was transcribed by the 8th-century philosopher Shankara. The term 'Kumbh' comes from the root 'kumbhak (the sacred pitcher of elixir of immorality). The founding myth of the Kumbh Mela points out to the Puranas. It recounts how Gods and demons fought over the sacred pitcher (Kumbh) of Amrit (nectar of immortality) called the Ratna of Samudra Manthan. It is widely believed that Lord Vishnu (disguised as the enchantress 'Mohini') whisked the Kumbh out of the grasp of the covetous demons who had tried to claim it. As he took it heavenwards, a few drops of the precious nectar fell on the four sacred sites we know as Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik and Prayag. The flight and the following pursuit is said to have lasted twelve divine days which is equivalent to twelve human years and therefore, the Mela is celebrated every twelve years, staggered at each of the four sacred sites in this cycle. The corresponding rivers are believed to have turned into Amrit at the cosmic moment, giving pilgrims the chance to bathe in the essence of purity, auspiciousness and immortality.
• There is a mention of Kumbh' and the bathing ritual associated with it in the Rig Veda. It speaks of the benefits of bathing at sangam during this period, elimination of negative influences and rejuvenation of mind and soul. Payers for the 'Kumbh' are also expressed in Atharva Veda and Yajur Veda. The main bathing days this time are during Makar Sankranti, Paush Purnima, Mauni Amavasya, Basant Panchami, Maghi Purnima and Maha Shivratri. 
• Kumbh Mela got widespread recognition across geographies during the rule of King Harshvardhana (c. 590-647 CE) as per historical evidences. Famous traveler Hsuan Tsang has prominently mentioned the grandeur of Kumbh Mela in his travelogue. The traveler's account also summarizes King Harsh's charities at the confluence of holy rivers where he gave gifts and donations to the scholars and sanyasis. King Harsh used to hold a great quinquennial assembly on the sands of the holy confluence at Prayag and would distribute all his possessions.
• The geographical location of Kumbh Mela spans over four locations in India and the Mela site keeps rotating between one of the four pilgrimages on four sacred rivers as per astrological conditions. Each site's celebration is based on a distinct set of astrological positions of the Sun, the Moon and the Jupiter. The celebrations occur at the exact moment when these positions are fully occupied, as it is considered to be the holiest time.
• The Kumbh Mela is an event that intrinsically encapsulates the science of astronomy, astrology, spirituality, ritualistic traditions and socio-cultural customs and practices, making it extremely rich in knowledge.
• Pilgrims to the Kumbh Mela come from all sections of the society ranging from Sadhus (saints) and Naga Sadhus who practice 'sadhana' and keenly follow a strict path of spiritual discipline, to Hermits who leave their seclusion and come to visit the civilization only during the Kumbh Mela, to seekers of spirituality and to common people practising Hinduism. 
• During the Kumbh Mela, a number of ceremonies take place; the traditional procession of Akharas called 'Peshwai' on elephant backs, horses and chariots, the shining swords and rituals of Naga Sadhus during 'Shahi Snaan' and many other cultural activities that attract millions of pilgrims to attend the Kumbh Mela.
• The Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj is widely considered as the most significant among all the Kumbh festivals held at other locations. It is considered as the source of light and knowledge. It is believed that Prajapati Brahma performed Ashvamedha Yajna at Dashashvamedha Ghat situated at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna and created the universe due to which, it is the most famous and significant among all other Kumbh festivals. 
• Apart from its primary bathing rituals, the social aspect of the festival also revolves around the various Yajnas, the chanting of Vedic Mantras, holy educations, traditional dances, devotional songs, programs based on mythical stories and prayers. Religious assemblies are held where doctrines are debated, standardized and conducted by renowned saints and sages. A prominent part of the festival is the act of donations to the poor and helpless, to the saints and to cows. Donations range from basic food and clothing to even precious metals. 
• Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, is considered to be the "world's largest congregation of religious pilgrims". An estimated 120 million people visited Kumbh Mela in 2013 in Prayagraj over a two-month period, including over 30 million on a single day, on 10 February 2013 (the day of Mauni Amavasya). This year, the attendance is expected to hit a record high. Kumbh Mela has been inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Uttar Pradesh Government has envisioned Kumbh Mela 2019 at Prayagraj as 'Divya Kumbh, Bhavya Kumbh'. 
• The welfare of all beings, sharing of noble thoughts and maintaining good relationships with all the beings across the world is the core message prevalent during the Kumbh festival. Kumbh has been spiritually uniting the people of India and across the world since time immemorial and will continue doing so for years to come.
• Text: Information available from Government sources.

• A Geographical Indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country). India, as a member of the World Trade Organization ( WTO), enacted the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection Act, 1999 with effect from 15 September 2003. The GI tag ensures that none other than those registered as authorised users (or at least those residing inside the geographic territory) are allowed to use the popular product name. Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India, in 2004-05, since then by May 2017, 295 other GI tagged products have been added to the list.
• Department of Posts is releasing a set of Commemorative Postage Stamps on GI Registered Handicraft Products as follows:
• GI Registered Handicraft Products:
• Blue Pottery of Jaipur: The art of blue pottery came to Jaipur from Persia and Afghanistan in the 14th century. The use of blue glaze on pottery made from Multani Mitti, or Fuller's earth, is an imported technique, first developed by enterprising Mongol artisans who combined Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts. Man Singh was the first to bring the art of blue and white to Jaipur subsequent to his interactions with the Mughals through his campaign in Afghanistan. Blue Pottery has unique features as the pottery is completely hand painted, does not develop cracks and is impervious, hygienic and suitable for daily use.
• Karnataka Bronzeware: In Karnataka, bronze casting flourished under Chalukyas, Rastrakutas, Hoysalas and the Vijayanagara period. The Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana under Vaishnava faith, erected many magnificent temples with exquisite metal icons. Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka, is the chief craft cluster for Bronze Casting. Traditional Indian bronzeware has worldwide reputation in overseas market because of its superior workmanship and modest price. Indian bronzes find place in museums at Boston, New York, Paris, London, Berlin etc. The artisans engaged in making bronze icons known as 'Stapathies’ are bound by faith, tradition and religion for making bronze icons and should be well versed in 'dhynanaslokas', which gives the physical attributes to the deity. The traditional crafts persons were an unbroken chain of evolution passing from teacher to the disciple and father to son.
• Kutch Embroidery: The Kutch Embroidery originated in Kutch-Gujarat with the arrival of different communities that migrated from countries like Iran, Iraq, Greece, Germany, Afghanistan during 16th & 17th centuries, Kutch embroidery is basically practised by women. Kutch work is unique in the sense that a net is woven on a cloth using thread. The net is then filled in using the same thread by intricate interlocking stitches. The patterns are usually built around geometric shapes. Designs of Kutch Embroidery are inspired by legend and everyday life. Each individual community expresses its own identity through a sense of aesthetics, colour, layout and motif preferences that evolved out of specific aspects of their history, including migration patterns and contact with surrounding people. However, the different adornment traditions are unified by regional styles and by motifs that bridge cultures: peacocks, parrots, temples, flowers, camels and elephants, human figures in dancing poses, dancing peacocks. It's a tradition which is handed down from generation to generation (mothers to daughters), thereby skilling and empowering them. 
• Maddalam of Palakkad: Maddalam is considered a divine instrument on account of its inclusion as a major accompaniment in the dance of Shiva. Maddalam dates back to 13th century. The sound produced by Maddalam is considered to be Pranavam or the sound of 'Om' or 'Aum'. It is very similar to the mridangam. The maddalam is the classical drum of South India and is used as an accompaniment for vocal, instrumental and dance performances. Panchavadyam which is regarded as one of the most sophisticated art forms of Kerala is an ensemble of five percussion instruments viz. drums timila, maddalam, edaykka, the cymbals ilathalam and the kombu horn. Cylindrical in shape, maddalam till today is chiselled out of a single piece of jack wood. There are two varieties of maddalam-Suddha maddalam and Toppi maddalam. The former is tied around the waist of the drummer with a cloth while the latter is a smaller version suspended from the neck. 
• Sikki Grass Products of Bihar: Sikki, the golden grass of Bihar, is found growing in the wet and marshy area of Madhubani district. Sikki work is practised by women in the region of Bihar. There is growing demand for Sikki Grass work not only for outstanding beauty but also for its cultural value. At one point of time, a very large part of the population in North Bihar (i.e. pockets in Darbhanga, Madhubani and Sitamarhi districts of Bihar) was engaged in this craft. The sikki is characterized by its wonderful golden hue, is also coloured into myriad shades to make the products more attractive. The products made from sikki grass are as utilitarian as they are uniquely ornamental. They include containers to store grain, rice, and lentils; boxes to keep clothes and jewellery, baskets to store sweets and masalas (spices) etc.
•  Text: Based on information received from Ministry of Textiles.

• A Geographical Indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country). India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indication of Goods Registration and Protection Act, 1999 with effect from 15 September, 2003. The GI tag ensures that none other than those registered as authorised users (or at least those residing inside the geographic territory) are allowed to use the popular product name. Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India in 2004-05. By May 2017,295 other GI tagged products have been added to the list.
• Department of Posts is releasing a set of Commemorative Postage Stamps on GI Registered Handloom Products as follows:
• Baluchari Saree: Baluchari is an exquisite silk saree of West Bengal produced by highly skilled weavers having generations of experience in handloom weaving, The name Baluchari is derived from the word "Baluchari' an area comprising several villages in the district of Murshidabad. In the middle of the 16th century, a group of experienced weavers from Varanasi migrated to Bengal and settled in Baluchari. They were famous for their weaving skill. They made beautiful designs an silk fabrics mainly used as sarees and exclusively patronized by the Nawabs and aristocrats of the society. 
• Bhagalpur Silk: Bhagalpur is a town of historical importance situated on the southern bank of the Ganga River. Bhagalpur is globally renowned for manufacturing quality silk fabrics and sarees. Presently, Bhagalpur is an important centrer for producing Mulberry, Tasar. Eri silks, cotton and their blends. The types of yarn developed from Tasar Cocoon are Reeled Tasar, Katiya, Gichha and Bakal yarn etc. Similarly, various qualities of mulberry silk yarn are Reeled, Spun, Dupion, Noil, Matka etc .These are used extensively to develop variety of textiles and products. 
• Kashmir Pashmina: Pashmina was first made by inhabitants of Kashmir. The quest for making a fine warm fabric to protect them from the harsh winter created Pashmina when they discovered an animal that produced one of the warmest raw materials called Pashm, the name given to the fleece of The quest for making a fine warm fabric to protect them from the harsh winter Created Pashmina when they discovered an animal that produced one of the warmest raw materials called Pashm, the name given to the fleece of Changthangi goat (capra hiracus). The best Kashmiri shawls produced today are made from the soft, downy undercoat that grows primarily on the neck and bely of the Himalayan mountain goat, 'capra  hiracus.
• Pochampally Ikat: Pochampally like at is a saree made in Bhoodan Pochampally, Yadadri Bhuvanagirl district, Telangana. Pochampally Ikat or resist dyeing involves the sequence of tying and dyeing sections and bunches of yarn to a predetermined color scheme prior to weaving. Thus the dye penetrates into the exposed section of the yam while the tied section remains un-dyed. The patterns formed by this process on the yarn are then woven into fabric.
• Tangaliya Shawl : Tangaliya Shawl is a distinct handloom weaving tradition. It consists of rolling a lump of fibres of a contrast color thread along the warp as per design and pushing them together to create the effect of raised dots on the surface of the fabric. Tangaliya is an age-old weaving craft which evolved in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat around 700 years ago. It is produced in some parts of the Kutch as well as Junagarh and Surendranagar districts of Gujarat.
• Text: Based on information received from Ministry of Textiles.

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (CAI) is a statutory body established by the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 for regulating the profession of Chartered Accountants in the country. It is   noteworthy that the Act came into force from 1st July, 1949 even before the Constitution was adopted by India. The creation of the Institute was a very important step in the progress of the profession. The Indian legislature placed a great responsibility an the Council of ICAI expecting them to establish standards of professional efficiency and professional integrity.

• Since its inception in 1949, the ICA has come a long way as an autonomous regulator of accounting and auditing profession in line with its role defined under the Act. It has been in the forefront of  propagating sound and resilient accounting and auditing practices. The role of ICAI as a National Standard Setter and as an educator has been the hallmark of its existence.

• Since 1949, the profession has grown by leaps and bounds in terms of membership and student base. Starting with a handful of about 1700 members, the strength of the Chartered Accountant  fraternity today, has grown to over 2.70 lakh members. On the education front, the ICAI began with mere 259 students and today about 725 lakh active students are a part of ICAI.

• ICAI is the second largest accounting body in the world with a strong tradition of service to the Indian economy. It has achieved recognition as a premier accounting body for maintaining highest standards in technical as well as ethical areas and for sustaining stringent examination and education standards.

• The affairs  of the ICAI are managed by a Council in accordance with the provisions of the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 and the Chartered Accountants Regulations 1988. The Council is composed  of 40 members of whom 32 are elected by the members and remaining eight are nominated by the Central Government generally representing the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Finance Ministry of Commerce and other shareholders.

• In terms of the Act of 1949, the President is the Chief Executive Authority of the Council. The Secretariat of the ICAI is headed by the Secretary who is in-charge of the office of the ICAI as it Executive 

• Head. The activities of the ICAI can be broadly divided into regulatory, standard setting, disciplinary and education and training. The Institute functions under the administrative control of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. It has its headquarters in New Delhi and 5 regional offices in Chennai, Kanpur, Kolkata, Mumbai  and New Delhi. It presently has 163 branches spread all over the country. In addition, it has also set up 31 chapters outside India and an overseas office in Dubai.

• The ICA is often called upon by various regulatory /statutory authorities of India on issues related to the profession and otherwise. Several Departments of the Central and State Governments of India approach the ICA for utilizing the services of Chartered Accountants for advice on economy in expenditure, development of control mechanism over public funds and optimum and effective cost of funds. Members of the ICAI contribute to public interest and national growth with the motto of Independence, Integrity and Excellence.

• Text:  Based on information received from proponent.

• Port Blair in modern times, as the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is a picturesque tourist location and serves as the gateway to pristine beaches and exotic marine life. To those interested in history, the place is a constant reminder of "Kala Paani housing the Cellular Jail as well as the stories of torture and in human acts meted  out to the prisoners, most of them being Indian revolutionaries of the freedom struggle. The first batch of freedom fighters of First War of Independence was brought here on 10 March, 1858, thus marking the beginning of the penal settlement. Since then, the convicts brought here, mostly political prisoners, suffered life imprisonment and hard labour under cruel and degrading conditions. Many were hanged, while others died of disease and starvation.
• The Cellular Jail, now a National Memorial is a witness to the glorious contribution of revolutionary patriots in the history of the Indian Freedom Movement. Many charismatic personalities were imprisoned here. Veer Savarkar, Ganesh Damodar Savarkar, Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Utaskar Dutt, Indu Bhushan Roy. Prithvi Singh Azad. Trallokyanath Chakravarthy, Mahavir Singh among others; the catalogue is long and distinguished. The stories of their suffering and sacrifice for India's independence and their defiance and Colour in the face of imperial oppression, have elevated the Cellular Jail to a place of pilgrimage in India's collective national memory.
• The more significant fact however, is that Port Blair was the first Indian territory liberated from imperial British rule. In 1943-44 during World War II, this territory served as the headquarters of the Azad Hind government under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The island at the time was liberated from British rule by Japan which captured it during the World War II.
• Netaji ,accompanied by members of the Azad Hind Government and his staff had paid an official visit to the Andaman Islands from 29-31 December, 1943. He stayed at the former British Chief commissioner's official residence on Rose Island. His visit followed the Japanese Prime Minister's historic declaration at the Assembly of Greater East Asiatic Nations in Tokyo on 6 November, 1943 that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands would be transferred to the Provincial Government of Azad Hind.
• On 30 December, 1943 Netaji addressed a mass rally of Indians at the Gymkhana ground in front of the Andaman Club. On the same day, the hosted the Tricolour for the first time at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair. He also announced the Islands as the first Indian Territory freed from the British rule. 
• After the flag hoisting, Netaji visited the Cellular Jail the same afternoon. He spent two hours there going around the Indian Bastille. Describing his visit to the islands later, Netaji said, "For Indians the return of the Andaman represents the first territory to be liberated from British yoke. By the acquisition of this territory, the provincial government has now become a national entity in fact as well as in name. The liberation of the Andamans has symbolic significance because the Andaman has always been used by the British as a prison for political prisoners. Most of the political prisoners sentenced to servitude for conspiracies to overthrow the British Government and there have been hundreds of them were looked up in this island. Like the Bastille in Paris, which was liberated first in the French Revolution, setting free political prisoners, the Andaman where our patriots suffered is the first to be liberated in India's fight for independence. Netaji named Andaman Island as Shaheed" and Nicobar Island as "Swaraj".
• Today, the place where Netaji hointed the flag stands as a great memorial.
• Text: Sh. Pallab Bose and material provided by the proponent.

• Port Blair in modern times, as the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is a picturesque tourist location and serves as the gateway to pristine beaches and exotic marine life. To those interested in history, the place is a constant reminder of "Kala Paani housing the Cellular Jail as well as the stories of torture and inhuman acts meted out to the prisoners, most of them being Indian revolutionaries of the freedom struggle. The first batch of freedom fighters of First War of Independence was brought here on 10 March, 1858, thus marking the beginning of the penal settlement. Since then, the convicts brought here, mostly political prisoners, suffered life imprisonment and hard labour under cruel and degrading conditions. Many were hanged, while others died of disease and starvation.
• The Cellular Jail, now a National Memorial is a witness to the glorious contribution of revolutionary patriots in the history of the Indian Freedom Movement. Many charismatic personalities were imprisoned here. Veer Savarkar, Ganesh Damodar Savarkar, Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Ullaskar Dutt, Indu Bhushan Roy, Prithvi Singh Azad, Trailokyanath Chakravarthy, Mahavir Singh among others; the catalogue is long and distinguished. The stories of their suffering and sacrifice for India's independence and their defiance and valour in the face of imperial oppression, have elevated the Cellular Jail to a place of pilgrimage in India's collective national memory.
• The more significant fact however, is that Port Blair was the first Indian territory liberated from imperial British rule .In 1943-44 during World War II, this territory served as the headquarters of the Azad Hind government under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The island at the time was liberated from British rule by Japan which captured it during the World War-II.
• Netaji, accompanied by members of the Azad Hind Government and his staff had paid an official visit to the Andaman Islands from 29-31 December, 1943. He stayed at the former British Chief commissioner's official residence on Ross Island. His visit followed the Japanese Prime Minister's historic declaration at the Assembly of Greater East Asiatic Nations in Tokyo on 6 November, 1943 that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands would be transferred to the Provincial Government of Azad Hind.
• On 30 December, 1943 Netaji addressed a mass rally of Indians at the Gymkhana ground in front of the Andaman Club. On the same day, he hoisted the Tricolour for the first time at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair. He also announced the Islands as the first Indian Territory freed from the British rule. 
• After the flag hoisting, Netaji visited the Cellular Jail the same afternoon. He spent two hours there going around the Indian Bastille. Describing his visit to the islands later, Netaji said, "For Indians the return of the Andaman represents the first territory to be liberated from British yoke. By the acquisition of this territory, the provincial government has now become a national entity in fact as well as in name. The liberation of the Andamans has symbolic significance because the Andaman has always been used by the British as a prison for political prisoners. Most of the political prisoners sentenced to servitude for conspiracies to overthrow the British Government - and there have been hundreds of them - were looked up in this island. Like the Bastille in Paris, which was liberated first in the French Revolution, setting free political prisoners, the Andaman where our patriots suffered is the first to be liberated in India's fight for independence. Netaji named Andaman Island as "Shaheed" and Nicobar Island as "Swaraj".
• Today, the place where Netaji hoisted the flag stands as a great memorial.
• Text : Sh. Pallab Bose and material provided by the proponent.

• Port Blair in modern times, as the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is a picturesque tourist location and serves as the gateway to pristine beaches and exotic marine life. To those interested in history, the place is a constant reminder of "Kala Paani" housing the Cellular Jail as well as the stories of torture and in human acts meted out to the prisoners, most of them being Indian revolutionaries of the freedom struggle. first batch of freedom fighters of First War of Independence was brought here on 10 March, 1858, thus marking the beginning of the penal settlement. Since then, the convicts brought here, mostly political prisoners, suffered life imprisonment and hard labour under cruel and degrading conditions. Many were hanged, while others died of disease and starvation.
• The Cellular Jail, now a National Memorial is a witness to the glorious contribution of revolutionary patriots in the history of the Indian Freedom Movement. Many charismatic personalities were imprisoned here. Veer Savarkar, Ganesh Damodar Savarkar, Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Utaskar Dutt, Indu Bhushan Roy. Prithvi Singh Azad. Trallo kyanath Chakravarthy, Mahavir Singh among others, the catalogue is long and distinguished. The stories of their suffering and sacrifice for India's independence and their defiance and valour in the face of imperial oppression, have elevated the Cellular  Jail to a place of pilgrimage in India's collective national memory.
• The more significant fact however, is that Port Blair was the first Indian territory liberated from imperial British rule. In 1943-44 during World War II, this territory served as the headquarters of the Azad Hind government under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The island at the time was liberated from British rule by Japan which captured it during the World War II.
• Netaji, accompanied by members of the Azad Hind Government and his staff had paid an official visit to the Andaman Islands from 29-31 December, 1943. He stayed at the former British Chief commissioner's official residence on Rosa Island. His visit followed the Japanese Prime Minister's historic declaration at the Assembly of Greater East Asiatic Nations in Tokyo on 6 November, 1943 that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands would be transferred to the Provincial Government of Azad Hind .
• On 30 December 1943 Netaji addressed a mass rally of Indians at the Gymkhana ground in front of the Andaman Club. On the same day, he hosted the Tricolour for the first time at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair. He also announced the Islands as the first Indian Territory freed from the British rule.
• After the flag hoisting, Netaji visited the Cellular Jail the same afternoon. He spent two hours there going around the Indian Bastille. Describing his visit to the islands later, Netaji said, For Indians the return of the Andaman represents the first territory to be liberated from British yoke. By the acquisition of this territory, the provincial government has now become a national entity in fact as well as in name. The liberation of the Andaman has symbolic significance because the Andaman has always been used by the British as a prison for political prisoners. Most of the political prisoners sentenced to servitude for conspiracies to overthrow the British Government and there have been hundreds of them were looked up in this island. Like the Bastille in Paris, which was liberated first in the French Revolution, setting free political prisoners, the Andaman where our patriots suffered is the first to be liberated in India's fight for independence. Netaji named Andaman Island as Shaheed" and Nicobar Island as "Swaraj". 
• Today, the place where Netaji hoisted the flag stands as a great memorial.
• Text: Sh. Pallab Bose and material provided by the proponent .   

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is a statutory body established by the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 for regulating the profession of Chartered Accountants in the country. It is noteworthy that the Act came into force from 1 July, 1949 even before the Constitution was adopted by India The creation of the Institute was a very important step in the progress of the profession. The Indian legislature placed a great responsibility on the Council of ICA expecting them to establish standards of professional efficiency and professional integrity. 
• Since its inception in 1949, the ICAI  has come a long way as an autonomous regulator of accounting and auditing profession in in with its role defined under the Act. It has been in the forefront of propagating sound and resilient accounting and auditing practices. The role of ICAI as a National Standard Secrate and as an educator has been the hallmark of its existence.
• Since 1949, the profession has grown by leaps and bounds in terms of membership and student base. Starting with a handful of about 1700 members, the strength of the Chartered Accountant fraternity today, has grown to over 2.70 lakh members. On the education front, the ICAI began with mere 259 students and today about 7.25 lakh active students are a part of ICAI.
• ICAI is the second largest accounting body in the world with a strong tradition of service to the Indian economy. It has achieved recognition as a premier accounting body for maintaining highest standards in technical as well as ethical areas and for sustaining stringent examination and education standards. 
• The affairs of the ICAI are managed by a Council in accordance with the provisions of the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 and the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988.The Council is composed of 40 members of whom 32 are elected by the members and remaining eight are nominated by the Central Government generally representing the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Securities and Exchange Board of  India, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of  Finance Ministry of  Commerce and  other  stakeholders.
• In terms of the Act of 1949, the President is the Chief Executive Authority of the Council. The Secretariat of the ICAI is headed by the Secretary who is in-charge of the office of the ICAI as its Executive Head. The activities of the ICAI can be broadly divided into regulatory, standard setting, disciplinary and education and training.
• The Institute functions under the administrative control of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. It has its headquarters in New Delhi and 5 regional offices in Chennai, Kanpur, Kolkata, Mumbai  and New Delhi. It presently has 163 branches spread all over the country. In addition, it has also set up 31 chapters outside India and an overseas office in Dubai
• The ICAI is after called upon by various regulatory /statutory authorities of India on issues related to the profession and otherwise. Several Departments of the Central and State Governments of India approach the ICAI for utilizing the services of Chartered Accountants for advice on economy in expenditure, development of control mechanism over public funds and optimum and effective cost o
• funds. Members of the ICAI contribute to public interest and national growth with the motto of Independence, Integrity and Excellence. 
• Text: Based on information received from proponent .

• Fashion is a universal subject, a language understood and spoken by one and all. Fashion is one of the most popular modes of expression. It describes the ever-changing style of clothes worn by those with cultural status. Fashions vary greatly within a society over time and are affected by age, occupation, location and social class.
• India's recorded history of clothing goes back to the fifth millennium BC in the Indus Valley Civilization. India was one of the first places where cotton was cultivated and used even as early as 2500 BC during the Harappan era. The remnants of the ancient Indian clothing can be found in the figurines discovered from the sites near the Indus Valley Civilization, the rock cut sculptures, the cave paintings and human art forms found in temples and monuments. Dating back to the Mohenjo-daro civilization, the earliest preliminary version was found in the statue of Mother Goddess wearing an elaborate headgear supported by a pair of bands and a broach, tight-fitted tunic and skirt fastened with a broad waist band using a medallion like clasp. She is adorned with two necklaces, the smaller one has a set of four cylindrical pendants. The "Priest-king and other stone figures are also depicted wearing a long robe over the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare. The clothing system was also related to the social and economic status of the person.  The upper classes of the society wore fine muslin garments and silk fabrics while the common classes wore garments made up of locally made fabrics.
• During the Mauryan Period, the most common attire of the people was antariya, which they used to wear as a lower garment. A cloth was covered in lehnga style to form a tubular skirt An embellished long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist pleated into the antariya was called patka. As an upper garment, people's main garb was utariya, a long scarf. The difference existed only in the manner of wearing. Textiles were dyed and printed. Resist dyeing and hand printing has been mentioned by Megasthenes as a common sight during the Mauryan period as has glazed cotton. Felting of fibres instead of weaving was also a generally used technique.
• The Mughals played a vital role in Indian Fashion and exerted a huge influence on the Indian dressing style. Men wore jams which was considered as the main royal gart of Mughal emperors, patka to keep the jewelled sword around the waist of jama. The patka is a type of girdle made of a fine fibre which is hand painted, printed or embroidered and choge embroidered, long sleeved coats generally worn over jamas and angrakhas. Mughal women wore a large variety of ornaments from head to toe. Their costumes generally included Peshwaj, Yalek, Pajama. Churidar, Dhillija, Garara and Fashion , they all included head garments , anklets and necklaces. This was done as a distinctive mark of their prosperity and their rank in society. Head-dresses were often worm by Mughal women and were available in various styles. Empress Nur Jahan, consort of Jahangir, epitomising beauty, wore a short sleeved long or r saphistication, the outfit made a style statement.
• Awadh (the region of the modern state of Uttar Pradesh around Ayodhya, west of Varana short jacket over her kurta. While she wore it to maintain he el) has historically been among the most important regions in India, politically, religiously and socially and holds a vital position with respect to the development of Indian fashion.  For centuries, the Awadhi style of dressing has intrigued fashion enthusiasts. Its fabrics, embroideries and precisidesign ,influencconnais connaiscoseurs  of fashion style enthusi The Nawabs who were predominant in Awadh during the 18th and 19h centurie particularly influenced  the evolution fashion The aristocracry of Lucknow spent Lavishly on their dresses had an impact on the dresses of the courtiers and the Awadhi people in general .The emphasis was not only on costumes and textiles, but also on how they were worm. 
• Indian Princely states also displayed evolution of fashion through fusion of local traditional dresses with the trends from other parts of India. For instance, for aristocratic Reput men court dresses included angaarkhi, pagdi, chudidar pyjama and a cummerbund (belt). Dhoti was also in tradition but it was warn in different styles across various princely states. This period also saw a fusion of diverse Indian attire and clothing trends infused with elements of European fashion.
• Text: Based on the material provided by Prof. Manika Wali a and other sources.

• Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Tools, renamed as Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) was established in 1968 by Govt. of India with the assistance of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at Chennai .The main objective of setting up the Institute was to develop manpower in different disciplines of Plastics Engineering & Technology as no similar institute was in existence in the country than International Labour Organization (ILO) served as the executing agency. 
• During the initial stages of the project between 1968 and 1973, the Institute achieved its targets and was adjudged as one of the most successful UNDP projects implemented worldwide. Today CIPET is a premier national institution under the aegis of the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Govt. of India fully devoted to Skill Development, Technology Support Services, Academic and Research (STAR) in the field of Plastics Engineering & Technology. CIPET has extended its wings to meet the demand of plastics & allied industries for skill manpower and technical support by upgrading the infrastructure as well as setting up new centres since 1980. 07 centres were set up during Vii th Plan, 07 centres during Viii to X Plan, 06 centres in Xi Plan and 16thcentres(including approved) in Xii Plan. The Institute is operating through 34 centres across the country and 06 more centres are in process. The functional centres are located at Ahmedabad Amritsar, Aurangabad, Baddi Balasore, Bengaluru, Bhopal Bhubaneswar,Chennai,Dehradun,GuwahatiGwaliorHajipur,Haldia,Hyderabad,Imphal,Jaipur,Kochi. Lucknow, Madurai Murthai, Mysor Raipur, Ranchi.
• CIPET stands tall not only as a premier institute in the country but also as a global institution renowned for its Research & Development in the riche areas of Polymer Science & Technology and high quality education and skill development CIPET has been accredited with ISO 9001:2008 OMS, ISOVIEC - 17025, ISO/IEC - 17020 certification on Design, Development and Conduct of specialized training courses in the field of Plastics Engineering & Technology.  CIPET renders technical consultancy services in design, tooling, polymer processing and testing for the benefit of plastics and allied industry. 
• All the CIPET centers are equipped with excellent infrastructure facilities in the areas of design, CAD/CAM/CAE, tooling and would  manufacturing, plastics processing, testing and quality assurance. The infrastructure facilities in terms of machinery, equipments and technology are continuously upgraded and modernized in tune with needs of plastics and allied industries by Government of India.
• CIPET also plays pivotal role in generating employment opportunities especially for unemployed and under employed youth, promoting entrepreneurs through various skill development training programs. The Institute has produced about 4 lakh operators, 50,000 technicians, 5000 engineers, with focus on socio-economically weaker sections, out of which 1.72 lakh were trained during last 3 years. After implementation of National Policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship skill development courses of CIPET have been standardized and aligned with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSOF) guidelines.
• CIPET has signed 16 Month  with renowned institutions across the globe in order to facilitate faculty student exchange programs and collaborative research projects in the field of Polymer Science Technology.
• CIPET offers its technology support services in all key sectors of Indian Economy including Automobiles, Aerospace, Agriculture, Building & Construction, Defence, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG),Information Technology, Medical Packaging, Electronics, etc CIPET renders Technology Support Services in Design (CAD/CAM/CAE). Tooling, Processing and Testing & Quality Assurance to the plastics and its a  lied industry in India and abroad. In line with the "Make in India initiative by Govt. of India, CIPET is contributing towards development of would s & dies, manufacturing of plastics products, import substitutes etc. All  the Plastics Testing Centres of CIPET are accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS). The faculty members of CIPET, as Technical Experts to BIS, were actively involved in the formulation of standards for plastic products manufactured by the industries, CIPET is playing a vital role and rendering Third Party Inspection Services for plastic products across the country particularly in the agriculture irrigation sectors.
• In an effort to encourage research and development and nurture research activities, CIPET has created an outstanding research environment that results in providing a perfect ambience for the aspiring  researchers to pursue their goal. Envisioned to be a Global R&D hub, CIPET has established three exclusive R&D Units since 2008 ie. Advanced Research School for Technology and Product Simulation (ARSTPS) at Chennai: Laboratory for Advanced Research in Polymeric Materials (LARPM) at Bhubaneswar and Advanced Polymer Design & Development Research Laboratory (APDDRL) at Bengaluru. 
• These research centers of CIPET across the country boast of excellent infrastructure facilities at par with international standards. Recognized by Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR), Department of Science & Technology. Government of India, CIPET has successfully accomplished many R & D projects in different disciplines in the field of Plastics Engineering & Technology.
• CIPET works in close liaison with industries to implement its initiatives in the areas of polymer and allied industries in accordance with the environmental policies of the country. CIPET's sustained efforts in creating awareness an environmental issues such as plastics waste management has been very well received by the industry. It has established a model Plastics Waste Management Centre at Guwahati to train manpower for plastics recycling industries. CIPET has made significant contributions towards major initiatives of Govt. of India viz. Skill India Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" ,"lake in India Digital India", "Start Up Indie", etc.  
• Text: Based on the information received from proponent.

• Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Tools, renamed as Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) was established in 1968 by Govt. of India with the assistance of United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP) at Chennai. The main objective of setting up the Institute was to develop manpower in different disciplines of Plastics Engineering & Technology as no similar institute was in existence in the country then. International Labour Organization (ILO) served as the executing agency. 
• During the initial stages of the project between 1968 and 1973, the Institute achieved its targets and was adjudged as one of the most successful UNDP projects implemented worldwide. Today CIPET is a premier national institution under the aegis of the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Govt. of India fully devoted to Skill Development, Technology Support Services, Academic and Research (STAR) in the field of Plastics Engineering & Technology. CIPET has extended its wings to meet the demand of plastics & allied industries for skilled manpower and technical support by upgrading the infrastructure as well as setting up new centres since 1980.  07 centres were set up during vilth Plan, 07 centres during Viith to Xth Plan, 06 centers Xith Plan and 16 centers  (including approved) in Xi th  Plan. The Institute is operating through 34 centres across the country and 06 more centres are in process. The functional centres are located at Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Baddi, Balasore, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Dehradun, Guwahati, Gwalior, Hajipur, Haldia, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Madurai, Murthai, Mysore, Raipur, Ranchi.
• CIPET stands tall not only as a premier institute in the country but also as a global institution renowned for its Research & Development in the niche areas of Polymer Science & Technology and high quality education and skill development CIPET has been accredited with ISO 9001:2008 QMS, ISO/IEC - 17025, ISO/IEC- 17020 certification on Design, Development and Conduct of specialized training courses in the field of Plastics Engineering & Technology. CIPET renders technical consultancy services in design, tooling, polymer processing and testing for the benefit of plastics and allied industry All the CIPET centers are equipped with excellent infrastructure facilities in the areas of design, CAD/CAM/CAE, tooling and would manufacturing, plastics processing, testing and quality assurance. The infrastructure facilities in terms of machinery, equipments and technology are continuously upgraded and modernized in tune with needs of plastics and allied industries by Government of India. 
• CIPET also plays pivotal role in generating employment opportunities especially for unemployed and underemployed youth, promoting entrepreneurs through various skill development training programs. The Institute has produced about 4 lakh operators, 50,000 technicians, 5000 engineers, with focus on socio-economically weaker sections, out of which 1.72 lakh were trained during last 3 years. After implementation of National Policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship skill, development courses of CIPET have been standardized and aligned with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) guidelines. 
• CIPET has signed 16 MoUs with renowned institutions across the globe in order to facilitate faculty/student exchange programs and collaborative research projects in the field of Polymer Science & Technology.
• CIPET offers its technology support services in all key sectors of Indian Economy including Automobiles, Aerospace, Agriculture, Building & Construction, Defence, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Information Technology, Medical, Packaging, Teletronics, etc. CIPET renders Technology Support Services in Design (CAD/CAM/CAE), Tooling, Processing and Testing & Quality Assurance to the plastics and its allied industry in India and abroad.  In line with the "Make in India" initiative by Govt. of India, CIPET is contributing towards development of would & dies, manufacturing of plastics products, import substitutes etc. All the Plastics Testing Centres of CIPET are accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and Bureaus of Indian Standard (BIS).The faculty members of CIPET, as Technical Experts to BIS, were actively involved in the formulation of standards for plastic products manufactured by the industries. CIPET is playing a vital role and rendering Third Party Inspection Services for plastic products across the country particularly in the agriculture/irrigation sectors.
• In an effort to encourage research and development and nurture research activities, CIPET has created an outstanding research environment that results in providing a perfect ambience for the aspiring researchers to pursue their goal. Envisioned to be a Global R&D hub, CIPET has established three exclusive R & D Units since 2008 i.e. Advanced Research School for Technology and Product Simulation (ARSTPS) at Chennai; Laboratory for Advanced Research in Polymeric Materials (LARPM) at Bhubaneswar and Advanced Polymer Design & Development Research Laboratory (APDDRL) at Bengaluru. These research centers of CIPET across the country boast of excellent infrastructure facilities at par with international standards. Recognized by Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR), Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, CIPET has successfully accomplished many R & D projects in different disciplines in the field of Plastics Engineering & Technology.
• CIPET works in close liaison with industries to implement its initiatives in the areas of polymer and allied industries in accordance with the environmental policies of the country. CIPET's sustained efforts in creating awareness on environmental issues such as plastics waste management has been very well received by the industry. It has established a model Plastics Waste Management Centre at Guwahati to train manpower for plastics recycling industries. CIPET has made significant contributions towards major initiatives of Govt. of India viz. “Skill India", "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan", "Make in India", "Digital India", "Start Up India", etc.
• Text:  Based on the information received from proponent.

• A Geographical Indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country). India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). enacted the Geographical Indication of Goods Registration and Protection Act, 1999 with effect from 15 September 2003. The GI tag ensures that none other than those registered as authorised users (or at least those residing inside the geographic territory) are allowed to use the popular product name. Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India, in 2004-05 since then by May 2017, 295 other GI tagged products have been added to the list.
• Department of Posts is releasing a set of Commemorative Postage Stamps on GI Registered Handicraft Products as follows: GI Registered Handicraft Products:
• Blue Pottery of Jaipur: The art of blue pottery came to Jaipur from Perala and Afghanistan in the 14h century. The use of blue glaze on pottery made from Multani Mitti, or Fuler's earth, is an imported technique, first developed by enterprising Mongai artisans who combined Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts. Man Singh I was the first to bring the art of blue and white to Jaipur subsequent to his interactions with the Mughals through his campaign in Afghanistan. Blue Pottery has unique features as the pottery is completely hand painted, does not develop cracks and is impervious, hygienic and suitable for daily use. 
• Karnataka Bronzeware: In Karnataka, bronze casting flourished under Chalukyas, Rasirakulas, Hoysalas and the Vieyanagara period .The Haysala king Vishnuvardhana under Vaishnava faith, erected many magnificent temples with exquisite metal icons. Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka, is the chief craft cluster for Bronze Casting. Traditional Indian bronzeware has worldwide reputation in overseas market because of its superior workmanship and modest price. Indian bronzes find place in museums at Boston, New York, Paris, London, Berlin etc. The artisans engaged in making bronze icons known as 'Stapathies are bound by faith, tradition and religion for making branze icons and should be well versed in chynanaslokas', which gives the physical attributes to the deity. The traditional crafts persons were an unbraken chain of evolution passing from teacher to the disciple and father to son.
• Kutch Embroidery: The Kutch Embroidery originated in Kutch-Gujarat with the arrival of different communities that migrated from countries like Iran, Iraq, Greece, Germany, Afghanistan during 16 & 17th centuries, Kutch embroidery is basically practised by women. Kutch work is unique in the sense that a net is was even on a cloth using thread. The net is then filed in using the same thread by intricate interlocking stitches. The patterns are usually built around geometric shapes. Designs of Kutch Embroidery are inspired by legend and everyday life. Each individual community expresses its own identity through a sense of aesthetics, colour, layout and motif preferences that evolved out of specific aspects of their history, including migration patterns and contact with surrounding people. However, the different adornment traditions are unified by regional styles and by motifs that bridge cultures: peacocks, parrots, temples, flowers, camels and elephants, human figures in dancing poses, dancing peacocks. It's a tradition which is handed down from generation to generation (mothers to daughters), thereby skilling and empowering them.
• Maddalam of Palakkad: Maddalam is considered a divine instrument on account of its inclusion as a major accompaniment in the dance of Shiva. Maddalam dates back to 13th century. The sound produced by Maddalarn is considered to be Pranavam or the sound of 'Om' or 'Aur. It is very similar to the midangam. The madalam is the classical drum of South India and is used as an accompaniment for vocal, instrumental and dance performances. Panchavadyam which is regarded as one of the most sophisticated art forms of Kerala is an ensemble of five percussion instruments viz. drumstimila, maddalar, edakka, the symbals lathalam and the kombu homage .Cylindrical in shape, maddalam till today is chiselled out of a single piece of jack wood. There are two varieties of maddalam Suddha maddalam and Toppi maddalam. The former is tied around the waist of the drummer with a cloth while the latter is a smaller version suspended from the neck.
• Sikki Grass Products of Bihar: Sikki, the golden grass of Bihar, is found growing in the wet and marshy area of Madhubani district. Sikki work is practised by women in the region of Bihar. There is growing demand for Sikki Grass work not only for outstanding beauty but also for its cultural value. At one point of time, a very large part of the population in North Bihar (i.e. pockets in Darbhanga, Madhubani and Sitamarhi districts of Bihar) was engaged in this craft. The sikki is characterized by its wonderful golder hue, is also coloured into myriad shades to make the products more attractive. The products made from sikki grass are as utilitarian as they are uniquely ornamental. They include containers to store grain, rice, and lentils; boxes to keep clothes and jewellery, baskets to store sweets and masalas (spices) etc. 
• Text: Based on information received from Ministry of Textiles.

• A Geographical Indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country). India as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) enacted the Geographical indicationes  Registration and client) Act 1999 with effect from 15 September 2003.The GI tag ensures that none other than those registered as authorised users (or at least those residing inside the geographic territory) are allowed to use the popular product name. Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India, in 2004-05 since then by May 2017. 295 other GI tagged products have been added to the list.
• Department of Posts is releasing a set of Commemorative Postage Stamps on GI Registered Handicraft Products as follows: 
• GI Registered Handicraft Product.
• Blue Pottery of Jaipur: The art of blue pottery came to Jaipur from Perala and Afghanistan in the 14h century. The use of blue glaze on pottery made from Multani Mitti, or Fuler's earth, is an imported technique, first developed by enterprising Mongai artisans who combined Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts. Man Singh I was the first to bring the art of blue and white to Jaipur subsequent to his interactions with the Mughals through his campaign in Afghanistan. Blue Pottery has unique features as the pottery is completely hand painted, does not develop cracks and is impervious, hygienic and suitable for daily use.
• Karnataka Bronzeware: In Karnataka, bronze casting flourished under Chalukyas, Rasirakulas, Hoysalas and the Vieyanagara period. The Haysala king Vishnuvardhana under Vaishnava faith, erected many magnificent temples with exquisite metal icons. Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka, is the chief craft cluster for Bronze Casting. Traditional Indian bronzeware has worldwide reputation in overseas market because of its superior workmanship and modest price. Indian bronzes find place in museums at Boston, New York, Paris, London, Berlin etc. The artisans engaged in making bronze icons known as 'Stapathies are bound by faith, tradition and religion for making branze icons and should be well versed in chynanaslokas', which gives the physical attributes to the deity. The traditional crafts persons were an un braken chain of evolution passing from teacher to the disciple and father to son.
• Kutch Embroidery: The Kutch Embroidery originated in Kutch-Gujarat with the arrival of different communities that migrated from countries like Iran, Iraq, Greece, Germany, Afghanistan during 16 &17th centuries, Kutch embroidery is basically practised by women. Kutch work is unique in the sense that a net is waven on a cloth using thread. The net is then filed in using the same thread by intricate interlocking stitches. The patterns are usually built around geometric shapes. Designs of Kutch Embroidery are inspired by legend and everyday life. Each individual community expresses its own identity through a sense of aesthetics, colour, layout and motif preferences that evolved out of specific aspects of their history, including migration patterns and contact with surrounding people. However, the different adornment traditions are unified by regional styles and by motifs that bridge cultures: peacocks, parrots, temples, flowers, camels and elephants, human figures in dancing poses, dancing peacocks. It's a tradition which is handed down from generation to generation (mothers to daughters), thereby skilling and empowering them.
• Maddalam of Palakkad: Maddalam is considered a divine instrument on account of its inclusion as a major accompaniment in the dance of Shiva. Maddalam dates back to 13h century. The sound produced by Maddalam is considered to be Pranavam or the sound of 'Om' or 'Aur'. It is very similar to the midangam. The maddalam is the classical drum of South India and is used as an accompaniment for vocal, instrumental and dance performances. Panchavadyam which is regarded as one of the most sophisticated art forms of Kerala is an ensemble of five percussion instruments viz. drumstimila, maddalam, palakkad, the gymbals lathalam and the kombu how. Cylindrical in shape, maddalam till today is chiselled out of a single piece of jack wood. There are two varieties of maddalam Suddha maddalam and Toppi maddalam. The former is tied around the waist of the drummer with a cloth while the latter is a smaller version suspended from the neck.
• Sikki Grass Products of Bihar: Sikki, the golden grass of Bihar, is found growing in the wet and marshy area of  Madhubani district. Sikki work is practised by women in the region of Bihar. There is growing demand for Sikki Grass work not only for outstanding beauty but also for its cultural value. At one point of time, a very large part of the population in North Bihar (i.e. pockets in Darbhanga, Madhubani and Sitamarhi districts of Bihar) was engaged in this craft. The sikki is characterized by its wonderful golden hue, is also coloured into myriad shades to make the products more attractive. The products made from sikki grass are as utilitarian as they are uniquely ornamental. They include containers to store grain, rice, and lentils; boxes to keep clothes and jewellery, baskets to store sweets and masalas (spices) etc. 
• Text: Based on information received from Ministry of Textiles.

• A Geographical Indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country). India as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) enacted the Geographical indicationes  Registration and client) Act 1999 with effect from 15 September 2003. The GI tag ensures that none other than those registered as authorised users (or at least those residing inside the geographic territory) are allowed to use the popular product name. Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India, in 2004-05 since then by May 2017. 295 other GI tagged products have been added to the list.
• Department of Posts is releasing a set of Commemorative Postage Stamps on GI Registered Handicraft Products as follows: 
• GI Registered Handicraft Product: 
• Blue Pottery of Jaipur: The art of blue pottery came to Jaipur from Perala and Afghanistan in the 14" century. The use of blue glaze on pottery made from Multani Mitt, or Fuller's earth, is an imported technique, first developed by enterprising Mongol artisans who combined Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts. Man Singh was the first to bring the art of blue and white to Jaipur sub sequent to his interactions with the Mughals through his campaign in Afghanistan. Blue Pottery has unique features as the pattery is completely hand painted, does not develop cracks and is impervious, hygienic and suitable for daily use.
• Karnataka Bronzeware: In Karnataka, bronze casting flourished under Chalukyas, Rastrakulas, Hoysalas and the Vieyanagara period. The Haysala king Vishnuvardhana under Vaishnava faith, erected many magnificent temples with exquisite metal icons. Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka, is the chief craft cluster for Bronze Casting. Traditional Indian bronzeware has worldwide reputation in overseas market because of its superior workmanship and modest price. Indian bronzes find place in museums at Boston, New York, Paris, London, Berlin etc. The artisans engaged in making bronze icons known as 'Stapathies' are bound by faith, tradition and religion for making branze icons and should be well versed in chynanaslokas', which gives the physical attributes to the deity. The traditional rafts persons were an broken chain of evolution passing from teacher to the disciple and father to son.
• Kutch Embroidery: The Kutch Embroidery originated in Kutch-Gujarat with the arrival of different communities that migrated from countries like Iran, Iraq, Greece, Germany, Afghanistan during 16&17"centuries, Kutch embroidery is basically practised by women. Kutch work is unique in the sense that a net is waven on a cloth using thread. The net is then filed in using the same thread by intricate interlocking stitches. The patterns are usually built around geometric shapes. Designs of Kutch Embroidery are inspired by legend and everyday life. Each individual community expresses its own identity through a sense of aesthetics, colour, layout and motif preferences that evolved out of specific aspects of their history, including migration patterns and contact with surrounding people. However, the different adornment traditions are unified by regional styles and by motifs that bridge cultures peacocks, parrots, temples, flowers, camels and elephants, human figer dancing poses,dancing peacocks. It's a tradition which is handed down from generation to generation (mothers to daughters), thereby skilling and empowering them.
• Maddala of Palakkad: Maddalam is considered a divine instrument on account of its inclusion as a major accompaniment in the dance of Shiva. Maddalam dates back to 13h century. The sound produced by Maddalarn is considered to be Pranavam or the sound of 'Om' or 'Aur'. It is very similar to the midangam. The madalam is the classical drum of South India and is used as an accompaniment for vocal, instrumental and dance performances. Panchavadyam which is regarded as one of the most sophisticated art forms of Kerala is an ensemble of five percussion instruments viz. drum simila, maddalar, edakka, the gymbals lathalam and the kombuhom, Cylindrical in shape, maddalam till today is chinelled out of a single piece of jack wood. There are two varieties of maddalam Suddha maddalam and Toppi maddalam. The former is tied around the waist of the drummer with a cloth while the latter is a smaller version suspended from the neck.
• Sikki Grass Products of Bihar: Sikki, the golden grass of Bihar, is found growing in the wet and marshy area of Madhubani district. Sikki work is practised by women in the region of Bihar. There is growing demand for Sikki Grass work not only for outstanding beauty but also for its cultural value. At one point of time, a very large part of the population in North Bihar i.e. pockets in Darbhanga, Madhubani and Sitamarhi  districts of Bihar) was engaged in this call. The sikki  is characterized by its wonderful golden hue, is also coloured into myriad shades to make the products more attractive. The products made from sikki grass are as utilitarian as they are uniquely ornamental. They include containers to store grain, rice, and lentils, boxes to keep clothes and jewellery, baskets to store sweets and masalas (spices) etc.
• Text: Based on information received from Ministry of Textiles.

• A Geographical Indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region or country). India as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). enacted the Geographical Indication of Goods Registration and Protection Act 1999 with effect from 15 September 2003.The GI tag ensures that none other than those registered as authorised users for at least those residing inside the geographic territory) are allowed to use the popular product name. Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India, in 2004-05 since then by May 2017. 295 other GI taged products have been added to the list.

• Department of Posts is releasing a set of Commemorative Postage Stamps on GI Registered Handicraft Products as follows: . 

• GI Registered Handicraft Products:

• Blue Pottery of Jaipur: The art of blue pottery came to Jaipur from Perala and Afghanistan in the 14" century. The use of blue glaze on pottery made from Multani Mitt, or Fuller's earth, is an imported technique, first developed by enterprising Mongol artisans who combined Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts. Man Singh was the first to bring the art of blue and white to Jaipur subsequent to his interactions with the Mughals through his campaign in Afghanistan. Blue Pottery has unique features as the pattery is completely hand painted, does not develop cracks and is impervious, hygienic and suitable for daily use. 

• Karnataka Bronzeware: In Karnataka, bronze casting flourished under Chalukyas, Rastrakulas, Hoysalas and the Vieyanagara period. The Haysala king Vishnuva Ardhana under Vaishnava faith, erected many magnificent temples with exquisite metal icons. Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka, is the chief craft cluster for Bronze Casting. Traditional Indian bronzeware has worldwide reputation in overseas market because of its superior workmanship and modest price. Indian bronzes find place in museums at Boston, New York, Paris, London, Berlin etc. The artisans engaged in making bronze icons known as 'Stapathies' are bound by faith, tradition and religion for making branze icons and should be well; versed in chynanaslokas', which gives the physical attributes to the deity. The traditional crafts persons were an unbraken chain of evolution passing from teacher to the disciple and father to son.

• Kutch Embroidery: The Kutch Embroidery originated in Kutch-Gujarat with the arrival of different communities that migrated from countries like Iran, Iraq, Greece, Germany, Afghanistan during 16 &17"centuries, Kutch embroidery is basically practised by women. Kutch work is unique in the sense that a net is waven on a cloth using thread. The net is then filed in using the same thread by intricate interlocking stitches. The patterns are usually built around geometric shapes. Designs of Kutch Embroidery are inspired by legend and everyday life. Each individual community expresses its own identity through a sense of aesthetics, colour, layout and motif preferences that evolved out of specific aspects of their history, including migration pattern sand contact with surrounding people. However, the different adornment traditions are unified by regional styles and by motifs that bridge cultures peacocks, parrots, temples, flowers, camels and elephants, human figures in dancing poses, dancing peacocks. It's a tradition which is handed down from generation to generation (mothers to daughters), thereby skilling and empowering them.

• Maddala of Palakkad: Maddalam is considered a divine instrument on account of its inclusion as a major accompaniment in the dance of Shiva. Maddalam dates back to 13th century. The sound produced by Maddalarn is considered to be Pranavam or the sound of 'Om' or 'Aur'. It is very similar to the midangam. The madalam is the classical drum of South India and is used as an accompaniment for vocal, instrumental and dance performances. Panchavadyam which is regarded as one of the most sophisticated art forms of Kerala is an ensemble of five percussion instruments viz.
• drumsimila, maddalar, edakka, the gymbals lathalam and the kombuhom, Cylindrical in shape, maddalam till today is chinelled out of a single piece of jack wood. There are two varieties of maddalam Suddha maddalam and Toppi maddalam. The former is tied around the waist of the drummer with a cloth while the latter is a smaller version suspended from the neck.

• Sikki Grass Products of Bihar: Sikki, the golden grass of Bihar, is found growing in the wet and marshy area of Madhubani district Sikki work is practised by women in the region of Bihar. There is growing demand for Sikki Grass work not only for outstanding beauty but also for its cultural value. At one point of time, a very large part of the population in North Bihar i.e. pockets in Darbhanga, Madhubani and Sitamarhi districts of Bihar) was engaged in this call. The sikki is characterized by its wonderful golden hue, is also coloured into myriad shades to make the products more attractive. The products made from sikki grass are as utilitarian as they are uniquely ornamental. They include containers to store grain, rice, and lentils, boxes to keep clothes and jewellery, baskets to store sweets and masalas (spices) etc. 

• Text: Based on information received from Ministry of Textiles.

• Fashion is a universal subject, a language understood and spoken by one and all Fashion is one of the most popular modes of expression. It describes the ever-changing style of clothes worn by those with cultural status. Fashions vary greatly within a society over time and are affected by age, occupation, location and social class.
• India's recorded history of clothing goes back to the fifth millennium BC in the Indus Valley Civilization India was one of the first places where cotton was cultivated and used even as early as 2500 BC during the Hagane. The remnants of the ancient Indian clothing can be found in the figurines discovered from the sites near the Indus Valley Civilization, the rock cut sculptures, the cave paintings and human art forms found in temples and monuments. Dating back to the h o m the earliest preliminary version was found in the statue of the wearing an elaborate headgear supported by a pair of bands and a brooch tightedunic and skirtastened with a broad waistband using a medallion like diasp. She is adorned with two necklaces the smaller one has a set of four cylindrical pendants. The king and other stone figures are also depicted wearing a long robe over the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare. The clothing system was also related to the social and economic status of the person. The upper classes of the society wore fine muslin garments and silk fabrics while the common classes wore garments made up of locally made fabrics.
• During the Maunan Period, the most common attire of the people was antaria, which they used to wear as a lower garment. A doth was covered in a style to forma tubular skirt. An embellished long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist pleated into the antariya was called patka. As an upper garment, people's main garb wasani, a long scarf. The difference existed only in the manner of wearing Textiles were dyed and printed. Resist dyeing and hand printing has been mentioned by Megasthenes as a common sight during the Mauryan period as has glazed cotton. Felting of fibres instead of weaving was also a generally used technique.
• The Mughals played a vital role in Indian Fashion and exerted a huge influence on the Indian dressing style. Men ware jama which was considered as the main royal garb of Mughal emperors, patka to keep the jewelled sword around the waist of jams. The patka is a type of girdle made of a fine fire which is hand painted printed or embroidered and chega embroidered, long sleeved coats generally worn aver jamas and angrakhas. Mughal women wore a large variety of comaments from head to toe. Their costumes generally included Peshwaj, Yalek, Pajama, Churidar, Dhillja, Garara and Farshi, they all included head or naments, anklets and necklaces. This was done as a distinctive mark of their prosperity and their rank in society. Head-dresses were often worn by Mughal women and were available in various styles. Empress Nur Jahan, consort of Jahangir, epitomising beauty, ware a short-sleeved long or short jacket over her kurta. While she wore it to maintain her sophistication, the outfit made a style statement.
• Awadh (the region of the modem state of Uttar Pradesh around Ayodhya, west of Varanaai) has historically been among the most important regions in India, politically, religiously and socially and holds avital position with respect to the development of Indian fashion. For centuries, the Awadhi style of dressing has intrigued fashion enthusiasts. Its fabrics, embroideries and precision in design, influence connoisseurs of fashion and style enthusiasts alike. The Nawabs, who were predominant in Awadh during the 18h and 19 centuries, particularly influenced the evolution of fashion. The aristocracy of Lucknow spent lavishly on their dresses. This had an impact on the dresses of the courtiers and the Awadhi people in general. The emphasis was not only on costumes and textiles, but also on how they were worn.
• Indian Princely states also displayed evolution of fashion through fusion of local traditional dresses with the trends from other parts of India. For instance, for aristocratic Rajput men court dresses included angarkhi, pagdi, chudidar pyjama and a cummerbund (belt). Dhoti was also in tradition but it was worn in different styles across various princely states. This period also saw a fusion of diverse Indian attire and clothing trends infused with elements of European fashion.
• Text: Based on the material provided by Prof. Manika Walia and other sources.

• Fashion is a universal subject, a language understood and spoken by one and all. Fashion is one of the most popular modes of expression. It describes the ever-changing style of clothes worn by those with cultural status. Fashions vary greatly within a society over time and are affected by age, occupation, location and social class.
• India's recorded history of clothing goes back to the fifth millennium BC in the Indus Valley Civilization. India was one of the first places where cotton was cultivated and used even as early as 2500 BC during the Harappan era. The remnants of the ancient Indian clothing can be found in the figurines discovered from the sites near the Indus Valley Civilization, the rock cut sculptures, the cave paintings and human art forms found in temples and monuments Dating back to the Mahenjo - daro civilization, the earliest preliminary version was found in the statue of Mother Goddess wearing an elaborate headgear supported by a pair of bands and a broach, tight-fitted tunic and skirt fastened with a broad waistband using a medallion like clasp. She is adomed with two necklaces, the smaller one has a set of four cylindrical pandants. The "Print king' and other stone figures are also depicted wearing a long robe over the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare. The clothing system was also related to the social and economic status of the person. The upper classes of the society wore fine muslin garments and silk fabrics while the common a wore caments made up of locally made fabrics.
• During the Mauryan Period, the most common attire of the people was an anariya, which they used to wear as a lower garment. A cloth was covered in lehnga style to form a tubular skirt .An embelished long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist pleated into the antariya was called patka. As an upper garment, people's main garb was utariya, a long scarf. The difference existed only in the manner of wearing. Textiles were dyed and printed. Resist dyeing and hand printing has been mentioned by Megasthenes as a common sight during the Mauryan period as has glazed cotton. Felting of fibres instead of weaving was also a generally used technique.
• The Mughals played a vital role in Indian Fashion and exerted a huge influence on the Indian dressing style. Men wore jams which was considered as the main royal garb of Mughal emperors, patka to keep the jewelled sword around the waist of jama. The patka is a type of girdle made of a fine fibre which is hand painted, printed or embroidered and choge embroidered, long sleeved coats generally worn over jamas and angrakhas. Mughal women wore a large variety of ornaments from head to toe. Their costumes generally included Peshwaj, Yalek, Pajama, Churidar, Dhillija, Garara and Farshi, they all included head amaments, anklets and necklaces. This was done as a distinctive mark of their prosperity and their rank in society. Head-dresses were often wom by Mughal women and were available in various styles. Empress Nur Jahan, consort of Jahangir, epitomising beauty, wore a short sleeved long or short jacket  over her kurta. While she wore it to maintain her sophistication, the outfit made a style statement.
• Awadh (the region of the modern state of Uttar Pradesh around Ayodhya, west of Varanasi) has historically been among the most important regions in India, politically, religiously and socially and holds a vital position with respect to the development of Indian fashion. For centuries, the Awadhi style of dressing has intrigued fashion enthusiasts. Its fabrics, embroid and precisio design influ connaisseurs of fashion and style enthusi Nawabs were predomi nantin Awadh during the 18th and centurie particular influened  the evolution of fashion The aristocracy of Lucknow spent Lavishly on heir dresses This had an impact on the dresses of the courtiers and the Awadhi people in general. The emphasis was not only on costumes and textiles, but also on how they were worm.
• Indian Princely states also displayed evolution of fashion through fusion of local traditional dresses with the trends from other parts of India. For instance, for aristocratic Reput men court dresse included angerkhi, pagdi, chudidar pyjama and a cummerbund (belt).Dhoti was also in tradition but it was warn in different styles across various princely states. This period also saw a fusion of diverse Indian attire and dating trends infused with elements of European fashion.
• Text: Based on the material provided by Prof. Manika Walia and other sources.

• Maharati Prannath was born on 28 October, 1618 in Jamnagar, Gujarat. His childhood name was Mehraj Thakur. His father, Keshav Thakur, was a Diwan in the state of Jamnagar. Mehraj's mother Smt. Dhanbai, was a pious lady. He was the fourth amongst their five sons. 
• At an early age, Mehraj was well versed in worldly knowledge. He was bold and aggressive and had good aptitude for spiritual knowledge. He came to listen to Shri Devchandral's discourses at the early age of twelve. Shri Devchandra saw in him a great visionary who was to carry on the work of awakening the souls.
• Mehraj was with his Guru for three weeks. In this period, every aspect of spiritual, political, religious and social matters, was discussed and plan for the future was drawn up. After bestowing his powers and blessings on Mehraj, Shri Devchandra left the mortal world and assigned his job of Jagnito Mehraj. Mehraj later disclosed that Lord's consort, Shyama, working through Devchandra, had made him her instrument to perform the great task of taking the divine souls back to their abode - Paramdham.
• While fulfilling this assigned job.Mehraj - Mahamati Pranath - brought many changes into the Hindu society While traveling throughout the country. he talked to many people in their language. That is the reason why there are six languages - Gujarati, Sindhi, Arabic, Persian Urdu. Hindi and also wards from many other prevalent languages in his works called Kuljam Swarup.
• In his task of promulgating the faith, Mahamati Pramnath travelled to every corner of India and to the Arab lands: Muscat Basra and to Bandar Abbas in Iran. In India he went to Junagarh, That thanagar, Nallya. Khambhallya. In Surat he established the holy shrine of Shri Mahamangalpuri Dham.
• Mahamati Pranath never stayed in one place for long. In spite of the difficulties of traveling, he moved around from place to place to awaken the divine souls. At that time, the Hindus were divided in thename of caste, creed, rituals etc. Exploitation of the poor, downtrodden and low castes was a comman feature. Was men were regarded as a low species, not allowed to remarry even if they became widows atan early age. Women were not allowed to read scriptures or  to receive the sacred mantras. Sati or bride burning was in voque. Mahamat Pranath, in his travels and discourses, tried to reform the Hindu society. He gave Tartam Mantra' to women. Some of them became preachers and started many centers for bringing awareness into the society. 
• During his travels, Mahamati met many saints and tried to unite them so that they could face the growing tyranny of the Mughal King, Aurangzeb. He attended many religious congregations like the Kumbh in Haridwar and tried to convince many Hindu saints that instead of praying to thousands of deities, we should pray to the Lord Supreme - the Adwait Brahman. In Haridwar, many saints and learned people were impressed by his philosophy. In Haridwar, in the year Samal 1735, the great Kumbh Mela took place and there Mahamati Prannath introduced a number of people to Nijanand Sampraday. Followers of Shiva, of Shakti and of Vishnu, the Four Sects, the Dasnam, ancies, the followers of the six philosophies, all had realized the unparalleled wisdom of Maharati Prannath.
• In the year 1740 of the Hindu calendar, he met Maharaja Chhatrasal.Under the protection of Chhatrasal, the shrine of Padmavatipuri Dham was established and it was during his eleven years in Panna Mahamati Prannath spoke the inspired message of the Tartan Vanior Kuljam Swarup, the sacred book which is the essence of all sacred books. The Kuljam Swarup contains fourteen books in 18758 verses which were compiled by his followers, as they were spoken by the Lord.Thus the Kuljam Swarup is the most authentic scripture of the world to Pranamis. Most of the books of Kuljarn Swarup are in Hindi - Hindustani, in Devnagri script.
• He emphasized the oneness of the Muslim and Hindu faiths and established a universal religion - a religion for all mankind and called it "Nijanand Dharma" or the blissful religion for the souls .
• In the year 1751 of the Hindu calendar, on the fourth day of the dark half of Shravan, the fifth month, Mahamati Prannath completed his purpose in this world and prepared to reside in the Highest Abode,"Paramdham". He passed down to Maharaja Chhatrasal the task of awakening the souls.
• Besides India, the followers of Mahamati Prannath are spread over many countries, namely - Nepal, Bhutan, USA Canada, UK, Australia, Singapore etc. Their number exceeds five million and about six hundred centres are continuously engaged in extending their services in the field of education, social service, medical facilities, other welfare activities and spiritual awakening programmes.
• Text: Based on the information received from proponent.

• Paika Rebellion popularly known as Paika Bidroha" was a well organized struggle against the oppressive rule of British East India Company. Paikas were essentially the peasant militias of the Gajapati rulers of Odisha who rendered military service to the king during times of war while taking up cultivation during times of peace. Immediately after the advent of company rule in Odisha, discontent spread rapidly amongst the people of Odisha. The British were fiddling with the revenue system, bringing about land reforms that increased taxes on the land owned by the local peasants and the natives. The money lenders took advantage of this creating huge debts for the common man. In fact, the socio economic fabric of the peasants of Odisha was disturbed completely. This inked the rulers of Khurda, who protested. Khurda, which is twenty-five kilometres from Bhubaneswar, was the centre of the Paika Rebellion.

• The Paika Bidraha was an armed revolt of the traditional Paika militia in the state of Khurda in Odisha in the year 1817. It began in the month of March and sporadically and intermittently continued up to 1838 after the formal suppression of the rebelion. It was led by Jagabandhu  Bidyadhar Mahapatra, who was traditionally a Buxi, military commander, under the king of Khurda. It had nearly swept away the British in Khurda, Pipill, Banapur and Purl for months before being crushed by the forces of East India Company. It was not a purely military revolt of disgruntled or demobilized soldiers but had a component that gave it a character of a civil uprising in which the Khurdapaikas, tribesmen, peasants, the traditional rent collectors and people engaged in native salt manufacturing, an industry tottering due to the manopoly of salt trade by the Company, all had joined. The uprising was against the unjust Company rules and set a strong tradition of defiance.

• The revolt began in March, 1817, when the Kondhs from Ghumear and the Paikas of Khurda jointly raided Banapur and attacked everything that symbolized the new Company's establishment there.  Even the mahajans and sahukars advancing loan to the peasants with the sole motive of appropriating their land and other valuable materials were not spared. A 400 strong contingent of Kandh tribesmen from Ghumsar crossed into Khurda; the Dalabeheras and Paikas joined them. The rebels attacked the police station and other Government buildings at Banapur. The Salt Agent of the southern division, narrowly escaped from this popular fury. However, his boat on the Chilika Lake was captured and plundered. The rebels then marched on ta hurda. More crowds joined them on the way, because of their success at Banapur. The officials did not dare to offer any resistance. All the official buildings were burnt. The Magistrate of Cuttack moved to Khurdato control the rebellion.  By the beginning of April 1817, the number of rebels had swelled to about 3000. They constantly attacked the Government forces thereby forcing the Magistrate to retreat to Cuttack on 4 April, 1817.

• The rebels under the leadership of the Buxi also reached Puri and requested Mukunda Deva II, the former king of Khurda, confined to Puri, to join them and to lead the revolt.The pilgrim city, Puri, came under the control of the rebels. The covert support of the prince in Puri gave strength and popular legitimacy to them. The Magistrate of Cuttack recommended that one the Company re-gained the control over this most important pilgrim city, the prince should be removed to Cuttack, the Company's headquarter in Odisha. A reward of Rs.5000 was also announced on the head of the rebel sirdars on 12 April, 1817 and martial law was imposed in the entire Khurda territory.

• On 12 April, 1817 the rebels burnt the Government cutchery and several other public buildings in Puri. In the resultant clash, 15 rebels were killed and many more were wounded. However, very soon more people joined the rebels. The priests of the temple openly proclaimed the fall of British rule and the restoration of the king's rule in Odisha. This created a mass upsurge forcing the European officials stationed in Puri to leave for Cuttack, where they reached on 18 April, 1817.

• By the second half of April, 1817 martial law had been proclaimed in Puri, Pipili, Lembai, Kotdesh, Khurda and Banapur. All communications between Cuttack and southern part of the province were completely cut off. By the end of April, 1817, the British swung into action in repressive mode. An armed British contingent returned to Puri and took the prince to Cuttack as their captive. There were attempts to rescue the prince on the way. Some 2500 rebels encountered the British forces escorting the prince. The British used modern arms and scared the mass of crowd whereas the rebels had only traditional arms, which were no match to the British arms. On 11 May, 1817 the prince reached Cuttack as a Company prisoner and was placed in close confinement in the Barabati fort till his death on 30 November, 1817. Although by the end of May, 1817, the revolt had been effectively suppressed, the resistance continued to prevail thereafter in pockets.

• Text: Ms. Shaili Dhagat and as per information received from the proponent.