Ranchi GPO: New move to catch youths

Ranchi, Aug. 26: To inculcate a habit of stamp collection among children, the postal department has decided to start a philately club in schools named after Jawaharlal Nehru.

Initially, the postal department will open the club in 50 schools in the capital. These will include both private and government schools. Later, the club will be opened in 10 other schools in the districts. The club will comprise 11-members, including local philatelists, teachers, principals, students, postal department officials and local artists. The department plans to start the club in the first week of September.

Anil Kumar, director of the postal department, Jharkhand Circle, said that they would organise a monthly meeting in schools or at the philately bureau at the general post office (GPO) to get feedback of the club. The department has also decided to provide free magazines, bulletins and panels related to philately. “We will organise philately shows, quizzes on stamps and prepare the students for state and national-level exhibitions,” Kumar said. He added that students could become members of the club for a nominal amount. “We will just charge Rs 10 from the students.” However, those who want to become members of the philately bureau at the GPO, they will have to shell out Rs 200. “The money will be used to collect stamps,” Kumar said.

A proposal is also on the anvil to supply stamps at a collector’s doorstep without any postal charge. “We normally charge Rs 24 for a registered letter, but for students the charges will be nil,” the director of the postal department said. He said, initially, awareness programmes would be targeted at city schools. “We also plan to stage a drama, Ticket ka Sangrah, in different schools,” he said.

Expressing concern, a postal department official said in this e-age stamps might soon become a rarity. Promoting stamp collection as a hobby among children or as a topic of study could just help turnaround the situation, he added.

Kumar couldn’t agree more. He also pointed out that stamp collection is one the low-cost hobbies one can have and can prove to be effective means of education.