Read or download the official PDF of this gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Communications on 14th August 2026. Classified under Press Release.
Executive Summary
The Department of Posts has launched the Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana philately scholarship scheme for the 2026-2027 academic year to promote stamp collecting as a hobby among students in Classes VI to IX. To qualify, candidates must maintain a strong academic record and participate in philately clubs or hold a Philately Deposit Account. Interested students must submit their applications via speed post by the tentative deadline of September 15, 2026, ahead of the selection process starting September 27, 2026.
Key Points / Main Content
Eligibility Criteria
Target Group: Students must be enrolled in Classes VI to IX in recognized schools within India.
Club Membership: Candidates should be members of their school’s Philately Club. If a club is not available, students with a personal Philately Deposit Account are eligible.
Academic Performance: A minimum of 60% marks (or equivalent grade) in the recent final examination is required.
Relaxation: SC/ST students are granted a five percent relaxation in the minimum marks requirement.
Selection Procedure
Level 1 (Written Quiz): A regional-level Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) quiz consisting of 50 questions covering Philately, Current Affairs, History, Science, Sports, Culture, and Geography.
Level 2 (Philately Project): Candidates selected from the quiz must submit a project of four to five pages.
Project Requirements: Projects must not exceed 500 words or use more than 16 stamps. Specific templates and guidelines will be provided by circle offices after Level 1.
Application Details
Submission Method: Applications must be sent exclusively via speed post.
Recipient Office: Applications should be addressed to the Sr. Supdt. of Post Offices, Goa Division, 1st Floor, Tapal Bhavan, Panaji-Goa-403001.
Deadline: The tentative last date for submission is September 15, 2026.
Impact Analysis
Students (Class VI to IX)Impact: Eligible students have the opportunity to receive a scholarship for pursuing philately and research in stamps.
Action Required: Candidates must ensure they meet the 60% academic threshold and possess either a Philately Club membership or a Philately Deposit Account before applying by the September 15 deadline.
SchoolsImpact: Schools serve as the primary hub for eligibility through the establishment of Philately Clubs.
Action Required: Schools should facilitate the establishment of Philately Clubs and provide students with the necessary academic records for their applications.
Department of Posts (Circle Offices)Impact: Responsible for the administration and execution of the scholarship selection process.
Action Required: Circle offices must conduct the written quiz on September 27, 2026, and subsequently issue detailed project guidelines and templates to successful Level 1 candidates.
Key Entities Referenced
Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana: The primary national scholarship scheme aimed at promoting philately as a hobby and research interest among students from Class VI to IX.
Department of Posts: The implementing authority responsible for conducting the selection process, including the Philately Written Quiz and Philately Project.
Ministry of Communications: The parent ministry overseeing the Department of Posts and the launch of the scholarship initiative.
Philately Deposit Account: A specific account type required for student eligibility in cases where a school-based Philately Club has not been established.
Goa: The central location for application submission and the specific administrative division (Goa Division) mentioned in the policy notification.
Ministry of Communications
Department of Posts launches scholarship
scheme to promote philately amongst students
for the year 2026-2027
September 15 last date for application submission
प्रव तथ: 14 AUG 2026 5:07PM by PIB Mumbai
Goa, 14 August 2026
Department of Posts has launched a philately scholarship scheme for generating
interest regarding philately amongst students. Launched under Deen Dayal SPARSH
Yojana, the scholarship is aimed at promotion of aptitude and research in stamps as
a hobby. Students of Class VI to IX having good academic record and pursuing
philately as a hobby will be awarded the scholarship on the basis of Philately Quiz &
Philately Project which will be conducted by circle offices of the department.
Eligibility Conditions:
To be eligible for the scholarship, a candidate must be a student (Class VI to IX) of a
recognized School within India. The candidate’s school should have a Philately Club
and he or she should be a member of the club. In case the School Philately Club
hasn’t been established, a student having his own Philately Deposit Account may
also be considered. The candidate must also have good academic record. At the
time of selection for award of scholarship, the candidate must have scored at least
60 percent marks or equivalent grade in the recent final examination. There will be
five percent relaxation for SC/ST students.
Selection Procedure:
The selection process, scheduled to be held on 27 September 2026, will consist of
two levels. In the Level 1, a Philately Written Quiz will be conducted at regional
level, and in Level 2, the students selected at the Regional Level Written Quiz will
have to submit a Philately Project for final selection.
Syllabus:
The Philately Written Quiz will be a Multiple-Choice Question Quiz consisting of 50
questions from subjects such as Current Affair, History, Science, Sports, Culture,
Geography and Philately (local & national). The Philately Project should not be of
more than four to five pages. In the project, the candidate may use not more than
16 stamps and not more than 500 words. Detailed guidelines regarding the project
and sample project template will be issued by the circle offices after announcement
of the Philately Written Quiz to the selected candidates.The tentative date for submitting application is 15.09.2026 and all the applications
should be submitted to the office of “Sr. Supdt. of Post Offices, Goa Division, 1st
Floor, Tapal Bhavan, Panaji-Goa-403001” by speed post only.
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Ashish Sangle/Parshuram Kor
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