New stamps from India

Stamp on Sai Baba

India Post  released a commemorative stamp on Sathya Sai Baba on the occasion of his 88th birth anniversary celebrations to be held at Puttaparthi of Anantapur district on November 23.

 

Union minister of state for communication & information technology (IT) Killi Krupa Rani released a commemorative stamp on Sathya Sai Baba on the occasion of his 88th birth anniversary celebrations held at Puttaparthi (Anantapur district) on 23rd November 2013.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba (born as Sathyanarayana Raju; 23 November 1926 – d. 24 April 2011) was a highly revered spiritual leader and world teacher, whose life and message are inspiring millions of people throughout the world. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi. The Sathya Sai Organisation, founded by Sathya Sai Baba "to enable its members to undertake service activities as a means to spiritual advancement" has over 1,200 Sathya Sai Centers in more than 100 countries. Through this organisation, Sathya Sai Baba established a network of free hospitals, clinics, drinking water projects and schools. Sathya Sai's devotees are spread across the world.

Sathya Sai Baba had died at Puttaparthi on April 24, 2011 due to ill-health. As Sathya Sai's devotees are spread across the world, the Sathya Sai Central Trust moved a proposal to issue a commemorative stamp on Sai Baba last year.

Courtesy : Indian Philately Digest

Stamp on Intelligence Bureau

Date of Issue : 23 November 2013

A commemorative stamp on  Intelligence Bureau (IB), India’s internal  Intelligence  agency was also released today by India Post.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is India's internal intelligence agency and reputedly the world's oldest intelligence agency.It was recast as the Central Intelligence Bureau in 1947 under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Shrouded in secrecy, the IB is used to garner intelligence from within India and also execute counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism tasks. The Bureau comprises employees from law enforcement agencies, mostly from the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the military.

Understanding of the shadowy workings of the IB is largely speculative. Many a times even their own family members are unaware of their whereabouts. One known task of the IB is to clear licences to amateur radio enthusiasts. The IB also passes on intelligence between other Indian intelligence agencies and the police. The Bureau also grants the necessary security clearances to Indian diplomats and judges before they take the oath. On rare occasions, IB officers interact with the media during a crisis situation. The IB is also rumoured to intercept and open around 6,000 letters daily. It also has an email spying system similar to FBI's Carnivore system. The Bureau is also authorised to conduct wire tapping without a warrant.

Japan Spain Joint Issue

 

400th Anniversary of the Relations between Japan and Spain

In recognition of floriculture and the plant species that are cultivated in such disparate places as Spain and Japan, the postal services of the two countries have released a joint set of stamps dedicated to the Geranium and Lespedeza Thunbergii. The two stamps are joined along the serration.