The front (top) and back side of the postal cover

Bhubaneswar, April 3: Here’s a rare opportunity if you’re a stamp collector and always on the lookout to add something unique to your burgeoning collection.

The Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), in association with the department of post, has released a special postal cover depicting fishes, women in the fisheries industry and freshwater reservoirs. The postal cover, said to be the first-of-its-kind in the history of agricultural research in India, has apparently been appreciated by philatelists all over the country.

Only 200, however, are up for grabs for Everyday Joes.

Released on the occasion of the institute’s silver jubilee celebrations, the postal cover depicts the institute’s main building and important activities being carried out there as well as a postal cachet (in philately, a cachet is a printed or stamped design or inscription) comprising two popular varieties of carp fish (rohu and catla).

The cover was released by the institute’s first director, S.D. Tripathi. The present director, Ambekar E. Eknath, was present too.

“The cover is a first of its kind in the history of agricultural research in India and has received much praise and appreciation from professional and amateur philatelists in the country,” said senior scientist H.K. De. “While the back of the cover has a brief introduction of the institute and its activities, the front depicts fishes, women in the fisheries industry and laboratory, freshwater reservoirs to accommodate freshwater aquaculture, fishery industry, innovation in the field and environmental aspects,” he added.

Out of the 1,000 copies of the postal cover printed by the department of post, 200 will be sold by the Philatelic Bureau in Bhubaneswar, General Post Office (GPO). Here, you can get the covers at an affordable price of Rs 10 for each cover.

The remaining 800 covers will sold by CIFA to the institute’s staff members and officers on a formal order of Rs 25 per copy.

The cover concept was conceived and designed by philatelist Bibhudatta Mishra, who is a technical officer with the freshwater aquaculture institute. “Those who want to cherish the memory of CIFA and give the cover as a novel gift can get it at the affordable price of Rs 10 from the Philatelic Bureau, GPO, Bhubaneswar,” said De. “We have already received 50 to 60 requests of purchase from philatelists from various parts of the country,” he added.

A constituent of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, CIFA is recognised as a national research institute in freshwater aquaculture research and development.

Over the last two decades of research, the institute has developed several technologies in the area of aquaculture, environment management, biotechnology, genetics, biotechnology, fish health management, nutrition, physiology and social sciences.