As we bid farewell to 2024 and welcome the new year, I am writing this final blog of the year to share my perspective on what transpired throughout the year in the Indian philatelic community.
This year began with the release of a beautiful miniature sheet (MS) on the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple. This was one of the most stunning stamps I have seen from India Post. From its design to its sale at philatelic bureaus, every aspect of this stamp was special. However, selling an MS with a face value of Rs. 30 at Rs. 100 was a bit unfortunate and disappointing. Yet, the philatelic community accepted the increased price, as we were tired of mediocre stamp designs in the past, and this unique design was worth every rupee.
While the poor and middle class in India faced the burden of increased taxes by the government, philatelists and users of various services provided by India Post also felt the impact. One of the major changes this year was the application of GST (Goods and Services Tax) on different services provided by the Department of Posts (DoP). There was a ruling by the DoP on April 23, 2024, to levy 18% GST on Speed Post, registered letters, registered parcels, International Tracked Parcels, and more. For complete details of the products and services where GST is applied, you can refer to the notice below.
This action by the DoP increased the postage fees for sending letters and philatelic materials, directly affecting philatelists. However, as citizens of the country, there was no choice but to accept it.
This was also an election year. For nearly two months, during May and June, there were no major philatelic releases as general elections were being conducted in different parts of the country.
This year, the Paris Olympics 2024 was one of the major events commemorated by many postal circles. The DoP released a beautiful miniature sheet (MS) to mark this occasion, breaking the gap of one installment, as no stamps were released during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Along with celebrating the spirit of winning medals, picture postcards, special covers, and pictorial cancellations were also issued, making this event even more popular and memorable.
Like every year, during the last two months of this year, November–December, India Post sprang into action and released 17 new stamps (as of December 29, 2024). In the first 10 months, the count was 25, but with this flurry of releases, the total reached 42. This sudden surge created a burden for many collectors, and the unavailability of these stamps and first day covers (FDCs) even after a month of their release caused significant disappointment. The DoP should consider better planning and distributing these releases more evenly throughout the year.
As I was mentioning the availability of philatelic materials in different bureaus, it’s worth highlighting the digitization of philatelic supply and the role of ePost. Many philatelists still struggle to find even a single FDC for some stamps due to reasons such as short supply and dealer-friendly practices at various Philatelic Bureaus. This gap was partially bridged by ePost. While it didn’t entirely solve the issue, it helped some people who had internet access and knew how to make digital transactions. They were able to get newly released stamps delivered to their doorstep for a minimal additional charge of Rs. 50 (free for orders above Rs. 1,000) via ePost. The fact that listings go out of stock within 1–2 hours of being live shows the high demand. The DoP should allocate more stock to ePost and implement measures to prevent the same user from ordering the same item multiple times within an hour or two.
As in previous years, the Karnataka and Maharashtra postal circles kept philatelists engaged by consistently releasing special pictorial cancellations on various occasions. This year, Kerala and Chhattisgarh circles joined the club by issuing pictorial cancellations for many major events. As someone who personally collects each cancellation, I have many opinions about these circles based on my experience. Though advance information about cancellation releases remains a challenge, the Maharashtra Postal Circle excelled in this area. They effectively utilized their social media platforms and trained their staff well to streamline the process, which I believe helped them generate good revenue.
On the other hand, I was slightly disappointed with the Karnataka circle. They charge Rs. 2 for each cancellation, which everyone is willing to pay and is a good source of revenue. However, limiting the availability of cancellations to only seven days often makes it difficult to acquire them. At Raipur GPO, cancellations are challenging to get for commercial use, as they don’t share release information in advance, and on the release day, their phones are often unreachable. However, their staff’s good behavior and the availability of cancellations in later days are commendable.
Lastly, my experience with the Kerala Postal Circle has been very positive across different bureaus. The only issue is that they sometimes forget to share information either in advance or even after the release.
Some of the stamps planned for release this year could not be issued due to various issues. One significant example was the stamp commemorating 100 years of Raj Kapoor. A rumor circulated in various philatelic groups suggesting that one of the stamps included an image of a movie poster deemed inappropriate. As a result, the release of the stamps was canceled. While I am neither experienced nor well-versed in the entire process, I can’t help but wonder why such issues aren’t validated at the initial stage to avoid these situations. Every year, some beautiful stamps fail to be released due to similar concerns, which raises questions about the credibility of the decision-makers at the top.
Here is the list of all the stamps released during the year 2024 for your reference:
| Sl.No. | Name of Stamp | Date of release | Denomination | Quantity |
| 1 | Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple | 18.01.2024 | 500 p(6) | 10,00,000 |
| 2 | 100th Birth Anniversary of Karpoori Thakur | 24.01.2024 | 500 p | 2,01,600 |
| 3 | Inclusive Elections – Election Commission of India | 25.01.2024 | 500 p | 3,01,680 |
| 4 | Bharat – The Mother of Democracy | 25.01.2024 | 500 p (3) | 1,43,334 |
| 5 | The Bombay Sappers War Memorial | 31.01.2024 | 500 p | 3,02,350 |
| 6 | 150th Birth Anniversary of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad | 08.02.2024 | 500 p | 2,01,600 |
| 7 | 125th Birth Anniversary Ram Chandra | 14.02.2024 | 1000 p | 2,01,600 |
| 8 | Cultural Heritage of Western Odisha | 20.02.2024 | 500 p (6) | 1,11,000 |
| 9 | Legendary Poets of Odisha | 20.02.2024 | 2000 p | 1,11,000 |
| 10 | Sarangadhar Das | 23.02.2024 | 500 p | 2,01,600 |
| 11 | Yakshagana | 25.02.2024 | 500 p | 3,02,360 |
| 12 | Centenary Year All India Railwaymen’s Federation | 27.02.2024 | 500 p | 3,04,100 |
| 13 | Mahatma Hansraj | 20.04.2024 | 500 p | 3,01,600 |
| 14 | Bhagwan Mahaveer 2550th Nirvan Kalyanak | 21.04.2024 | 500 p | 2,01,600 |
| 15 | Siddharoodha Swami | 06.07.2024 | 500 p | 3,02,650 |
| 16 | 100th Birth Anniversary of Mukesh | 24.07.2024 | 3000 p | 1,11,000 |
| 17 | Wazir Mohd Hakla Poonchi | 24.07.2024 | 500 p | 3,02,052 |
| 18 | Kargil Vijay Diwas Silver Jubilee 2024 | 26.07.2024 | 500 p | 3,04,000 |
| 19 | XXXIII Olympics Paris 2024 | 05.08.2024 | 500 p (4) | 1,11,000 |
| 20 | Supreme Court of India – 75 Years | 31.08.2024 | 1000 p | 2,11,000 |
| 21 | Diamond Jubilee of Rajbhasha | 14.09.2024 | 500 p | 3,05,950 |
| 22 | Joint stamp issue India-Romania | Folk Costumes | 75 Years of Diplomatic Relations | 17.09.2024 | 5000 p (2) | 1,13,700 |
| 23 | 100th Birth Anniversary of Akkineni Nageswara Rao | 20.09.2024 | 1000 p | 3,28,800 |
| 24 | 150th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union | 09.10.2024 | 1500 p (3) | 1,11,350 |
| 25 | 200 Years of Kittur Vijayotsava | 23.10.2024 | 500 p | 3,03,850 |
| 26 | VadtalDham Dwishatabdi Mahotsav | 09.11.2024 | 500 p | 3,05,400 |
| 27 | Acharya Shantisagar Muni Maharaj | 10.11.2024 | 500 p | 3,03,450 |
| 28 | 100 Years of Hindustan Times | 16.11.2024 | 500 p | 3,03,120 |
| 29 | Sickle Cell Eradication – 2047 | 15.11.2024 | 500 p | 2,02,800 |
| 30 | 150th Birth Anniversary of Birsa Munda | 15.11.2024 | 500 p | 2,02,800 |
| 31 | Pujya Dada Bhagwan | 10.11.2024 | 500 p | 4,10,000 |
| 32 | 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab | 21.11.2024 | 500 p | 2,02,800 |
| 33 | International Year of Cooperatives | 25.11.2024 | 500 p | 3,02,800 |
| 34 | 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF CONSTITUTION | 26.11.2024 | 500 p | 2,02,800 |
| 35 | Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav | 06.12.2024 | 500p | |
| 36 | 75 YEARS OF UNICEF WITH INDIA | 11.12.2024 | 1000 p | 2,11,000 |
| 37 | 200th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF MAHARSHI DAYANAND SARASWATI | 15.12.2024 | 500 p | 5,18,300 |
| 38 | Centenary of Tansen Samaroh | 15.12.2024 | 500 p | 3,03,460 |
| 39 | Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav | 06.12.2024 | 500 p | 3,06,250 |
| 40 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee Birth Centenary | 25.12.2024 | 500 p | 2,02,800 |
| 41 | 2800th Nirvan Kalyanak of Bhagwan Parshvanath | 25.12.2024 | 500 p | 3,03,500 |
| 42 | 2900th Janm Kalyanak of Bhagwan Parshvanath | 25.12.2024 | 500 p | 3,03,500 |
As an Odia, I would like to highlight the philatelic activities of the Odisha Postal Circle. This year was excellent for philatelists in Odisha. As far as I know, post-independence, 2024 saw the maximum number of stamps released on Odisha themes in a single calendar year. A total of 11 stamps, including 2 miniature sheets (MSs), were released on various themes related to Odisha. Additionally, 7 special covers were issued, and the District Level Philatelic Exhibition at Kalahandi, KALAHANDIPEX 2024, was one of the notable events organized by the Odisha circle. Moreover, various pictorial cancellations throughout the year kept us engaged.
Now, let me discuss how things are going with me and my collection. Due to various personal and professional commitments, I could not maintain consistency in posting blogs throughout the year. My social media handles have also been almost inactive. Many posts are in draft but remain unpublished, as I feel they need more in-depth research. Hopefully, next year, I will find the time to put in more effort. I haven’t planned anything concrete yet, but one idea I have is to start publishing a monthly post summarizing all the activities in the philatelic community of India and abroad. Let’s see how it goes.
Having said all that, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the DoP, its staff, and the philatelist community of India and beyond for making this year memorable. While the year may pass, the collections we have built will remain a part of history.
Now, the question arises… What’s next? Next year is unique in terms of numerics, as it will be the first “whole square year” since 1936, and the next one won’t come until 2116. It promises to be equally special for philatelists. During the last Philatelic Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting, decisions were made to release stamps commemorating several major events of the coming year. Most of us will be busy right from January, as the Kumbh Mela is set to begin in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, in the second week of the year. The DoP has already begun planning initiatives to make India Post a more profitable logistics company. It will be interesting to see how policymakers shape the department’s future and how those decisions impact us. Only time will tell…
With this, I would like to say thank you all for staying with me and for your continued support. Let’s make the next year even better together! I’d love to hear about your experiences over the past year—feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!