Love... kept safely in a
box
Date of Issue : 27 January 2017
Slovenia Post
issued a greeting stamp for this year’s
Valentine’s Day featuring miniature painted chest.
Dehradun February
2017 Vol. X No. 110
Readers
are requested to send reports of philatelic activities in their area for
publication. Short write ups by the readers about their journals, societies,
publications and philatelic requirements can be sent for inclusion in this
bulletin to j.jyoti9@gmail.com .
Note- This bulletin is
only for circulation among a limited group of philatelists without any
commercial purpose. The bulletin will be sent to the readers only on request.
Those who wish to receive it regularly please reply giving the name of your
city / country with the subject SUBSCRIBE
RAINBOW
Dear Reader
I am pleased to release February 2017 issue of Rainbow Stamp
News. It is the time of stamp exhibitions as many District Level and State
Level stamp exhibitions are being held all over the country. Some
International Stamp Exhibitions have also been announced. Some Readers have
complained that they are not receiving proper response from the National
Commissioners about the exhibitions. However, it is duty of every
National Commissioner to provide complete information to those who intend
to participate in the exhibition and respond to their mail.
Appraisal of National Commissioner
Further, a reader of Rainbow has suggested the appraisal system
for NC by the participant. He suggests that a grading form for National
Commissioner should be submitted by each participant to the Philatelic
Congress of India related to his interaction with the commissioner to evaluate the performance of NC who
attended a particular International exhibition. It is to be made compulsory
evaluation by participant whose exhibits were carried by NC. PCI should
evaluate these grading and publish performance rank of each NC. Non compliance
by a participant may disqualify for next international automatically. The form
should highlight points such as behavior, response, response time, time span
for different activities, handling and carriage of exhibits, reporting by NC on
exhibition, expenditures details etc.
for which PCI may design the form with appropriate questionnaire. This will
certainly bring revolution in NC appointment system and will encourage entry of
new NC’s and withdrawal of inefficient, and incompetent NC’s from
the existing panel. Further this will improve NC’s performance at different
levels
This suggestion by the reader seems to be a nice idea which I
believe should be implemented as soon as possible. The performance form should directly be submitted to PCI with
in stipulated time after the receipt of exhibit
and other items / information from the NC by the participant.
There are complaints from the participants about the
organizers of some of recently held exhibitions. They do not return exhibits,
certificates and refunds timely and do not reply to the mails inquiring about
exhibits, certificates etc. It’s all very disappointing for the participants
who spend lot of time,energy and money in exhibiting their exhibits. There must be a
Grievances Cell in the PCI where exhibitors can send their complaints freely
about the exhibitions.
This is all for this
month.....More in next issue.
Contents
§
From the Desk of Naresh Agrawal
§
Recent Indian Issues
§
In The News
§
Doon Philatelic Diary
§
Interview
§
Beginners’ Section
§
Specialized Section
§
New Issues from Other Countries
§
Philatelic Clubs and Society
§
Blogs & Websites on Philately
§
Current Philatelic Magazines –
Newsletter
DOMESTIC STAMP DEALERS’ CRY
Philately
depends upon one’s imagination, search and research on different subjects which
is then transformed in to a collection and then in to an exhibit with the help
of stamps and other philatelic material. Getting the material and completing
the collection or exhibit is quite satisfying and is the goal of the whole
process of philatelic collection and exhibiting.
Stamp
dealers are the one who mainly provide the required philatelic material. I
remember when I was a young stamp collector, apart from searching stamps from
here and there, through pen pals and exchange; the main source was the stamp
dealers who practically helped me in developing my collection by providing the
required material regularly and giving appropriate required information. After
so many years when philately has changed its dimensions, style and methodology,
it has turned from 2G to 4.5 G ; my dependency is still on some of the stamp
dealers who even today provide me the required material regularly. They are the
one who search required material of my taste for me from their sources. Yes,
auction and stamp sale sites on net and whats app groups have helped in a big
way, yet importance of domestic and local dealers cannot be ruled out. The
personal contacts with them certainly a regular and big help.
Of
late, during BILASAPEX 2017 some of the dealers from Kolkata graced the show
with their presence and gave an encouraging impact on the show. Stamp dealers
for me are like sauce on snacks which
adds to the taste & like jewels in
crown which add to the beauty of the crown. I mean they are an essential part
of philatelic show and otherwise back bone of philately as they are basically
the material providers. They are feeders. They are true philatelic promoters as
they provide basic material to the budding stamp lovers and specific
specialized material to the serious, veteran and seasoned philatelists.
Well,
during discussion with them, I found that they were not happy as they had a
common complaint of not being recognized by the organizers of the philatelic
shows. As per them, the treatment sometimes they received was pathetic. We must
understand dealers spend so much of money in travelling, carriage of philatelic
stuffs, their stay, food etc. apart from the precious time they give to the show on call from the organizers.
Sometimes they are in big loss but they are always ready to serve philatelists.
Some times during the travel they lose their precious stuffs but to whom to
complain. Genuinely the stamp dealers deserve all appreciation and thanks for
their valued contribution for the promotion of philately.
Some
people sometimes complain about the dealers being costly. I differ from them in
my opinion. Let us talk about small dealers who move from one show to the other
and one place to the other. I feel we must also understand that they are
professionals. They earn their bread and butter from the sale of philatelic
stuffs only. Their net earning is their livelihood. So even if sometimes their prices
seem to be little high they should be accepted as they serve you at your door
steps.
In
nut shell, I would request all the organizers that stamp dealers should be
given proper recognition and honor. In BILASAPEX-2017, the attending dealers
from Kolkata were duly honored by the Postal Department for their contribution
to the show. They seemed satisfied and happy. And such practice should be
sincerely adopted by all the philatelic wings of postal departments and all the
philatelic societies and clubs. We must not forget stamp dealers are back bone
of philately. It won’t be wrong if I say “Philately survives if stamp dealers
survive” or “Philatelic Dealers survival is necessary for the survival of the
philately”..
-Naresh
Agrawal Ph. 09425530514
Recent Indian Issue
1
January 2017 – Splendors of India – 12 x Rs 25 + 1 MS Rs 300 + 12 MS of RS 25 each
5
January 2017 - Guru Gobind Singh 350th Prakash Utsav Rs 10 + MS
7January
2017 - India Portugal Joint Issue
- Rs 5 = Rs 25 + MS
17
January 2017 M G Ramachandran-Rs 15
25 January 2017
- Nature – 6 x Rs 5 + MS
30
January 2017 – India Post Payments Bank – Rs 5
Recent Special Covers
19
January 2017 – Kalindi 2017 Jamia
Millia Islamia , New Delhi
19
January 2017 – Kalindi 2017 Bahai Lotus Temple, New Delhi20 January
2017 – Kalindi 2017 Okhla Bird Sanctuary, New Delhi
27
January 2017 : RURAPEX 2017-:Agriculture is the best culture – Melur
27 January 2017: Rurapex 2017 - Nature is the best Teacher – Melur
27 January 2017 : International Customs Day –
Bangalore
27 January 2017: 60th year of Manipal Institute of Technology,
Manipal
28
January2017 : Bilasapex 2017 :Kosa..The
fabric of Chhattiasgarh., Bilaspur
29
January 2017 : Bilasapex 2017 Crocodile
Park, Kotmi Sonar, Bilaspur
30.January.2017
: Bilasapex 2017 : Swachh Bharat
Abhiyaan, Bilaspur
30 January 2017 : Ahmednagar Fort , Pune
30 January 2017: National Cleanliness Day – Bangalore
1 February 2017 : Sri Sharada Temple Swarna Gopura
Kumbhabhisheka, Sringeri,
Karnataka - 577 139
In The News
Israel’s International Year of
Light stamp wins top design award
Israel’s International Year of
Light stamp recently received the Nexofil award for the most beautiful stamp of
2015. The awards were presented Oct. 28, 2016 in Spain. A Swedish Ingrid
Bergman stamp was the runner-up, and a Croatian stamp placed third.
The winners were determined by an
international jury comprised of philatelists from more than 20
countries. Issued Feb. 10, 2015, the 11.80-shekel stamp from Israel
commemorated both the International Year of Light and the 2013 Nobel Prize in
chemistry (Scott 2050).
According to information from the
Israel Philatelic Service, the stamp design represents the Schrodinger equation
on the left and the protein rhodopsin on the right. Shown on the attached tab,
or label, are the emblem of the International Year of Light and representation
of rods and cones, two types of light-sensitive cells in the human retina.
Sweden’s 14-krona Ingrid Bergman
stamp issued Aug. 20, 2015, is part of a joint issue with the United States
honoring the 100th birth anniversary of the actress (Sweden Scott 2756, United
States 5012).
Both the Swedish and U.S. stamps
were based on a photograph of Bergman taken by celebrity photographer Laszlo
Willinger. The Swedish stamp was designed by Gustaf Martensson and engraved by
Lars Sjooblom.
Martin Pingel, head of design at
Postnord Stamps, described the design as “a simple, powerful depiction of one
of the world’s most well-known actresses of the 20th century.”
The Croatian stamp, issued July
9, 2015 (Scott 964), was part of the multination Euromed series featuring boats
of the Mediterranean.
The 5.80-kuna stamp pictures a
cargo vessel known as a bracera. The stamp design by Dean Roksandie is based on
a photograph by Ljubo Gamulin.
Israel won another first-place
Nexofil award for best definitive stamp series for its Sept. 2, 2015, Rivers
issue (Scott 2079-2084).
Spain also received two
first-place awards, one for best engraved stamp (Scott 4048, Segovia UNESCO
World Heritage Site) and best mixed printing (4038, Exfilna 2015, National
Philatelic Exhibition, Aviles).
Other first-place awards were
presented to stamps and souvenir sheets of Austria, Belgium, France,
Liechtenstein, Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
Source : Linn’s
Stamp News
Asiago
International Award for Philatelic Art 2016
Royal Mail has won the Asiago International Award for Philatelic
Art 2016, for the Innovative Britain set of 8 stamps. Often tagged in the media
'for the most beautiful stamps' the awards are considered the Oscars of Stamp
Design and are awarded annually in Asiago Italy.
This year the jury included a stamp designer, journalist,
philatelist and film critic. The awards are presented under the patronage of
the President of Italy and Circolo filatelico Sette Comuni, the Seven Towns
Philatelic Circle.
Portugal won the
prize in the Ecology category, for four stamps, with a Polish stamp for World
Blood Donation Day taking an award from the Italian Academy of Philately and
Postal History. Spain received the award of the Palladian Axademy of Vicenze fo
ra miniature sheet promoting Exfina, the Spanish national stamp exhibition.
African
nation accidently uses trans woman’s image for Marilyn Monroe stamp
A
transgender entertainer who is a dead-ringer for Marilyn Monroe is threatening
legal action against the Central African Republic for issuing stamps using her
image impersonating the late Hollywood star.
Jimmy
James is described in the New York Post’s Page Six report as a renowned Monroe
impersonator, who played her in a 1991 television commercial for an eyeglasses
company. That’s the image that her attorney, Mark J. Heller, says was
appropriated for the stamp.
The
stamp is one in a series celebrating the curvaceous actress, who had absolutely
no connection whatsoever to Africa. But images of celebrities, especially dead
movie actors, are a popular stream of income for nations looking to profit on
their fame.
Recent Stamp
Exhibitions
BRASILIA -2017
Brasilia-2017 is a
Specialized World Stamp Exhibition. The Exhibition will open on 24 October
2017 and close on 29 October 2017. An exhibitor whose entry has
won at least a vermeil award at the National philatelic exhibitions, or have
participated in an International philatelic exhibition and have won a
medal may submit entry.
Mr Ajay Kumar Mittal is
the National Commissioner. Interested philatelists may contact him at email
: ajaymittal1957@gmail.com
Following
classes are available for participation.
Exhibition Classes
Class 1 – FIP Championship Class - For exhibits that have been awarded three Large Gold medals, in three different years, at World Exhibitions held under FIP Patronage over the last ten years (2007-2016).
Class 2 - Traditional Philately (TP): A) Brazil. B) Americas (except Brazil). C) Europe. D) Asia, Oceania and Africa.
Class 3 - Postal History (PH): A) Brazil. B) Americas (except Brazil). C) Europe. D) Asia, Oceania and Africa.
Class 4 - Postal Stationery (PS).
Class 5 - Thematic Philately (TH) (*). Exhibits will be classified under: A)
Nature. B) Culture. C)
Technology.
(*) Please, indicate
clearly in the “Exhibit Application Form” as to the subclass (A, B or C) the
exhibit is entering.
Class 6 - One Frame – TP, PH, PS, TH.
Class 7 - Modern Philately – TP, PH, PS, TH.
Class 8 - Youth Philately:
Age for Group A: 10-15
years old (As of January 1st, 2017).
Age for Group B: 16-18
years old (As of January 1st, 2017).
Age for Group C: 19-21 years
old (As of January 1st, 2017).
Class 9 - Philatelic Literature:
A) Philatelic books and
research papers (published on or after January 1st, 2012).
B) Philatelic magazines
and periodicals (the whole annual volume issued after January 1st, 2015).
C) Catalogues (published
after January 1st, 2015).
Article 9 – Participation Fee
9.1 There is no fee for
Non-Competitive Class entries
9.2 The participation fee
for Competitive Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 is US$ 60.00 per
frame.
(An additional 50 Swiss Francs per frame for the FIP Championship Class shall be paid directly to FIP).
9.3 The participation fee for One-Frame Exhibit (Class 6) is US$ 75.00 per exhibit.
9.4 There is no fee for
Youth Philately (Class 8).
9.5 The participation fee
for Philatelic Literature (Class 9) is US$ 60.00 per exhibit.
BANDUNG
2017
BANDUNG
2017 Specialised WORLD STAMP EXHIBITION, 3-7 Aug 2017 Exhibition under FIP
Patronage
Shri Sahdeva Sahoo is National Commissioner
for this exhibition. emails
: sahadevasahoo@gmail.com &
sahadevas@yahoo.com Phones +91 9337103542
+91 674 2432251 (LL)
+91 674 2432251 (LL)
MELBOURNE 2017
MELBOURNE 2017, 34th FIAP Asian International Stamp Exhibition
will be held in Melbourne, Australia from 30 March to 2 April 2017.
Mr. Madhukar Jhingan is the Indian National Commissioner for the
MELBOURNE 2017.
BILASAPEX 2017
Three Day Distt Level Philatelic
Exhibition was held in Bilaspur Chhattisgarh by Department of Post from 28th
January 2017 to 30th January 2017 at premises of Sri Ram Mandir,
Tilak Nagar, Bilaspur. As many as 42 entries were there in competitive Class in
senior as well as Junior Classes. Mr Naresh Agrawal, a philatelist of
international repute also displayed his
award winning exhibits in various International and World stamp Shows in
invitee class to grace the show alongwith his other nationally awarded
exhibits. In senior category Mr Atul Jain’s exhibit on Hands and Fingers
(Human) was adjudged the Best Exhibit in the show. Mr. C.R.Andhare acted as
jury. The show was visited by several school children apart from regular visitors. Stamp
Dealers from Kolkatta graced the show.
Following 3 nos. Special Covers and 4 nos. Stamp
booklets were released during the show :
28.01.2017 Special
Cover on Kosa..The fabric of Chhattiasgarh. The Stamp Booklet pertained
to Sal and Mahua Trees of Achanakmar forest.
29.01.2017 Special Cover on Crocodile
Park, Kotmi Sonar. The Stamp Booklets pertained to Kanan Pendari Zoo of
Bilaspur and Birds of Achanakmar Tiger
reserve
30.01..2017 Special Cover on Swachh
Bharat Abhiyaan. The Stamp Booklet pertained to the visit of Mahatma Gandhi to
Chhattisgarh during 1920
International quality steel frame were
procured for the display of exhibits. Cultural program and quiz competitions
were held. In all, the show was a great
success. Local newspapers highlighted
the show.
-Naresh Agrawal
Gandhi Philatelic Exhibition at Pune
On 30 Jan 17 Gandhi
Philatelic Exhibition was held at Pune GPO was inaugurated.
Exhibits of Ole-Fredrik Olsen, Ashok Bayanwala, Prashant Pandya, Dr Anjali Dutta, Col J Dutta, and Dept of Post, Pune were displayed. The chief guest was Smt Aparna Mohile former chief of the Censor Board who had certified the film Gandhi. The exhibition was on for two days.
Exhibits of Ole-Fredrik Olsen, Ashok Bayanwala, Prashant Pandya, Dr Anjali Dutta, Col J Dutta, and Dept of Post, Pune were displayed. The chief guest was Smt Aparna Mohile former chief of the Censor Board who had certified the film Gandhi. The exhibition was on for two days.
The special cover on
Ahmednagar Fort was released. One special cover on forts of Pune Region will be
released every month. School children came in large numbers which was very
heartening. Col J Dutta spoke to the children on the theme and then took them
around.
Interview
Interview with Aditya Asthana
1. We welcome you to the colorful spectrum
of RAINBOW, a medium which has given colors to many stamp lovers. As usual we
start with the basic question as to how you came in to the field of stamp
collecting.
Long time back, probably
in 1992, I was fascinated by the stickers which came free with different packs
of the famous instant noodles “Maggi”. I collected them and I used to stick
those colorful stickers on the door of our refrigerator.
One fine day, my father
gifted me a window envelop with many beautiful stamps. It was a pack of 100
different stamps from various countries. He taught me the purpose of stamps and
handed over two most precious gifts. One was a Reader’s Digest Special edition
World Atlas published in 1965 and a stamp album. That’s how it all began.
Now, after so many
years, I actually wonder that the motive behind those gifts might have been
just my mother’s willingness for protecting her refrigerator.
2. Kanpur as we know has been a place
where philately blossoms and spread its fragrance throughout. Many veteran,
renowned philatelists hale from that place who are certain motivation and boost
to many budding stamp lovers. Do you have interaction with some? Please tell
us.
Kanpur has been a
philatelic hub for more than hundred years. The city has seen many great
philatelic societies, dealers and collectors.
In my school days, I was mentored by Shri Arjun Ghosh who taught me the
basics of stamp collecting. He was the driving force behind the Ghosh Enterprises,
a famous name of 80s and 90s. In fact, the window envelope which my father
gave; was bought from the popular Stamp and Book Corner which still exists and
has been there since close to 30 years.
Over the years, Shri
Ramesh Chandra Agarwal helped me in completing few of my country collections
and when I entered competitive philately, Shri Arun Agarwal became my guide. He
taught me the Principles of Postal History. Of course, my list cannot be called
complete without mentioning the name of the networking agent of Kanpur, Shri
Daksh Dev Shukla. He was been instrumental in providing some of the essential
exhibiting material to me.
3. How you began your journey to the stamp
collecting era,I mean collecting assorted stamps or country wise or theme wise?
My journey started with
my full devoted measures of collecting whatever which came more in quantity,in
less money. Whenever my father took me to Stamp and book corner, I used to pick
up packets which had the maximum number of stamps of the largest size.My first focused attempt
was to collect India used stamps which I managed to complete by the end of my
schooling. I remember selling off my books after my Class 12th board
exams and buying stamps out of it.
During college days, I
started collecting Nepal, Germany, Ceylon and Bangladesh. I got hold of free
album pages which I used for organizing these stamps. That was the time when I
practiced hinging used stamps. I am yet to begin thematic philately.
4. When your serious journey to the
philatelic field started. When exactly you felt that there was some need to get
proper direction and then move ahead?
I would say that my
serious philately began about 7 years back when I began studying and
structurally organizing British Indian stamps. In parallel, I was working on 3
collections of India used on Album pages which I graded according to the
condition of the stamps. After completing the run of India Used stamps, came
the turn of switching to Mint and that of course required more money. With new
job and a stable philatelic budget I started picking up the mints of 1960s.
White gum& pristine condition were words which were the market jargons. I
saved money and invested in India mint. Soon, I had to invest more money in its
up keep and maintenance. The process was going slow and was turning boring as
well. Finally in 2012, I decided to stop collecting India Mint. I realized that
Indian mint stamps are something which could be obtained very easily anytime by
throwing some money. There was no fun in collecting the easily available stuff.
Many people would disagree with me on this.
In the winters of 2013,
while chatting with Shri Arun Agarwal, I showed my disinterest in collecting
India Mint and my argument was quite convincing to him. After a long thoughtful
pause, he disappeared for short interval, and came back with a cover. A cover
which was sent from Etawah to Cawnpore more than 150 years back. The cover was
enticing as it was related to my city. That was time when the virus of postal
history entered my life. I found that collecting postal history is exciting as
each cover narrates its own story.
5. When did you turn from collecting
stamps to exhibiting stamps? What do you feel about competitive philately?
Earlier I used to think
that making exhibits is not my cup of tea as it required a lot study and
exploration. But my perception changed
in Kanpex 2013. For the first time I saw the details of the exhibiting
practice. I decided to give it a try. Actually I realized that I was hesitant
in entering competitive philately because I did not know where to start from, which
books or journals to read and how to step by step transform my accumulations to
an exhibit. Exhibiting indeed requires great deal of knowledge and study but
the work becomes easier when you are told the correct path to follow.
Competitive philately is great as it gives you certain goals in your philatelic
life. But the intentions of hoarding medals is something which I dislike.
6. Tell us about your participations in
stamp exhibitions and awards won?
Cawnpex 2015, a District
Level Exhibition was my first participation. I had put a 2 frame exhibit. I was
given a Sliver for my exhibit titled, “Postal History of Cawnpore”. Next was
the Zonal Exhibition - Uttarpex 2015 which again gave me a Silver. I had expanded
my exhibit to 5 frames by that time. After Uttarpex, I got a decent gap of one
year wherein I worked on the write up and gathered better covers. I
participated in the National level SIPA Diamond which was held in Chennai last
year. I met a number of people there and I learnt a lot. I was awarded a
Vermeil at SIPA.In the mid of December
last year, a District Level Exhibition was again organized in Kanpur itself. I
was awarded a Gold along with Best Exhibit Award.
7. It is truly interesting to know that
you love Social Philately and also you exhibited in this class. Tell us about
your exhibit and how you selected this class which normally is less appreciated
in India at present. Please also let us know some features of the exhibit.
I turned to Social philately
because while exhibiting my subject, I was not able to add the required flavor
to my subject in terms of postage, path and postmark. I found this very class
to be a way out as it allowed me to add certain non-philatelic items. I have
used cigarette cards, stationery of industrial houses and printed rate lists of
commissioning agents to showcase the historic events and industrialization of
Cawnpore. The title of my exhibit in social history class is, “Manchester of
the East”.
8. Now as you have experienced philately;
a hobby, better than many, what do you suggest to the young generation when
there are so many other digital attractions and less time available for
recreation with them?
Nowadays digital
attraction are pulling younger generation away from these legacy hobbies. But
one thing I would like to highlight here is that with Philately as a hobby,
children gain excellence in scholastic subjects as well. I would rather suggest
that the parents are to be influenced first then only they will encourage their
children to pursue this hobby.
When I was a kid, my
father taught me how to refer to an atlas for locating a particular country on
the map. This practice proved highly beneficial for me. I remember the
excitement that I used to have whenever I was able to connect a historical
event or personality to a particular stamp in my collection. I suggest young
collector to look up google maps instead, to find out more details about the
countries whose stamps you have collected. Google out the people and place
depicted in the stamps you have.
Philately has the human
connection, it includes discussions with people and exchange of thoughts which
are very much required for the children of this digital age. The collection of
these tangible bits of paper and the idea of caring about it adds values to the
kid’s growth.
9. Which one is better Collecting or
exhibiting?
I would say exhibiting
is better. If you have it, flaunt it. But exhibiting comes after collecting.
Collecting is an addiction, exhibiting is fun.
10. While wishing you the very best for the
future we would like to know how you have planned to pursue this hobby ahead.
Thank you for the best
wishes. Currently, I am looking forward to participate in National or
international level events. I need to work more on my exhibit in social
philately class. I also wish to start a thematic subject as well for which
search is still on.
In parallel, I am
working on my latest venture which is a website showcasing the postal history
of my city. www.cawnpore.net
:
Interview by Naresh Agrawal
Doon
Philatelic Diary
Oil & Natural Gas Corporation
Abhai
Mishra
Before
Independence the oil production was carried out Assam Oil Company in the North
East and Attock Oil Company in the North West region of undivided India. The
role of oil and gas was emphasised after the Independence for industrial development.
Until 1955 the oil exploration was mainly carried by the private companies. It
was in 1955 that the Government of India decided that the oil exploration need
to be put under the ambit of a public sector undertaking. Hence the Oil and
Natural GAs Directorate was set up under the Ministry of Natural Resources and
Scientific Research. Mr. KD Malviya, then Minister was largely responsible for
framing the policy of oil exploration. In April 1956, the Government of India
adopted the Industrial Policy Resolution, which placed mineral oil industry
amongst the Schedule 'A' industries, the future development of which was to be
the sole and exclusive responsibility of the state. In August 1956 the
Directorate was raised to the status of commission and further in 1959 it was
converted into a statutory body by an act of Parliament. ONGC (Oil and Natural
Gas Commission) was reorganized as a limited Company under the Company's Act,
1956 in February 1994 following the liberalised economic policy of 1991
.
Special cover issued in 1981 at
Dehradun to commemorate the ONGC Silver Jubilee
ONGC, Dehradun HQ meter mark
cancelling the stamp released on its 50 year
With
its headquarter situated at Dehradun, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation is
today the flag bearer of not only the Indian Petroleum Industry but also the
entire Industrial sector of the country. The organization has emerged as one of
the forerunners amongst the public and private sectors within a short span.
ONGC occupies top slot amongst the public sector undertakings in terms of
assets employed. Keeping in view ONGC's unique position in the Indian
Industrial scenario, its role in the socioeconomic development of not only
Dehradun but of the whole country assumes prime importance. It completed its 50
years in 2006.
Beginners’ Section
NOT ONLY CHINESE NEW YEAR, CHINA MAP ITSELF LOOKS LIKE A
ROOSTER
Chinese New Year 2017 -
The Year of the Rooster - has begun and will last until Feb 15, 2018.This year is unique having 13 lunar months instead of 12 ,which means there are
384 days in Rooster year 2017.It is to keep the Chinese lunar calendar within
half a month of the traditional solar calendar, there will be a leap month in 2017 (a second lunar month 6 starting July 23rd).
But the most interesting thing to know is that if you look at the map of China, its shape is remarkably similar to that of a rooster. Its head is in the North-Eastern provinces, its magnificent tail includes the Xinjiang and Tibet provinces and its wings spread across resource-rich basins of the Yangtze and Yellow River. This rooster's belly is in the southeast, and Hainan and Taiwan islands are its legs. A tour guide in a Yangtze River cruise, indicating this similarity, explained: "This shows that Taiwan is definitely an integral part of China. Rooster does not like to stand on one foot for too long."
Specialized Section
On the
126th anniversary of Agatha Christie's birth…
Agatha
Christie’s popularity IS SLIGHTLY LESS than god (pt II)
© Dr.Satyendra Kumar
Agrawal
The history of detective fiction is a
history of bestselling writers – Conan Doyle, Dorothy L. Sayers, and more
recently, crime writers like James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell – but Dame
Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie -The “Mystery Queen is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Bestselling
Authorof all time. Her books have sold over 2 billion copies in 44 languages.
After working as a nurse during World
War I, Christie became an apothecaries' assistant, allowing her access to a
myriad of toxins and perhaps this was the reason she chosen method of death by
poisoning in many of her mystery novels. The Pale Horse is one of them and in
West Germany in 1981; a criminal attempted murder copying the manner adopted in
this novel.
HER NOVEL SAVED A DYING GIRL
“The Pale Horse” novel
not only used to plan a murder but also helped to save life of a toddler. Hewas
dying from some sort of wasting disease that no one could seem to identify,
until one of her nurses recalled “The Pale Horse”, the Christie novel she was
reading. The Christie character was a victim of thallic poisoning and suffered
from many of the same symptoms as the dying tot. In a last-ditch effort to
figure out what was going on, the nurse had the patient’s thallium levels
tested. They were more than 10 times the normal amount. After treatment, the
girl made a full recovery. It was later determined that pesticides containing
the deadly substance were regularly used around her home.
“MANX
GOLD” HELPED PROMOTING TOURISM
Her novels also helped in promoting tourism onIsle of Man. In
1930, Agatha Christie was commissioned to write “Manx Gold”, a mystery story
serialized in the “Daily Dispatch”. It contained cryptic clues to the hiding
places on the island of four £100 treasure-hunt prizes, with the idea of
enticing vacationers to the Isle of Man — and it worked !
“Manx Gold”, Isle of
Man, 2003
One of a set of six
stamps issued by the Isle of Man Post focusing on writers and literature
associated with the island. Each stamp in the set includes an extract from the
featured publication in micro text, which can be read with a strong magnifying
glass.
WHEN
SHE HERSELF BECAME REAL LIFE- MYSTERY
She was not only “Queen
of Mystery Novels” but herself became headline news in a real-life mystery when
for 10 days in December 1926, she vanished after crashing her Morris motor car.
Massive police searches failed to trace her whereabouts, and the newspaper
investigations rivalled those of today's tabloids in their fancifulness if not
their scatological detail. Agatha was eventually traced to the Hydropathic
Hotel in Harrogate. She had lost her memory. The hotel register showed she had
used an assumed name. Confusingly, she also placed a classified advertisement
in The Times requesting that friends and relatives make contact. The assumed
surname she adopted was identical with that of the woman loved by her husband,
Archibald Christie. Some months after the incident he and Agatha separated.
Missing Agatha was
traced to the Hydropathic Hotel in Harrogate
The Harrogate Hotel
Mystery, FDC GB 1991
DETECTIVE
POIROT’s BOOKS HONOURED ‘MYSTERY SERIES OF THE CENTURY’
She created all time
famous and much loved character - the fastidious Belgian sleuth, HerculePoirot
in 1916 for her first novel ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’. Out of 66 murder
and detective mysteries, 33 were featuring Poirotand at the Bouchercon World
Mystery Convention in May 2000 they received the honour ‘Mystery Series of the
Century’.
Hercules Poirot, Solomon
Islands 2015 and Nicaragua 1973
Hercules Poirot reached
international fame in 1926, when "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" was
published. The mystery concerns a killing for which all suspects appear to have
an alibi, until the murderer’s method is revealed in clever plot twist. The
solution of this mystery, of the narrator as prosecutor, originated a violent
debate in the world of the mystery novel.
Detail from "The
Murder of Roger Ackroyd", GB 2016 depicting Lover's suicide note reprinted
in full in micro text.
The popularity that
Poirot received then has continued. His tiny "gray cells" are
legendary for their exactitude. Poirot is classified as belonging to the system
of intuition, using the theoretical approach instead of the scientific for
deduction.
HER
NOVEL KEPT IN LOCKER FOR 35 YEARS BEFORE PUBLISHING
But, Christie disliked
Hercule Poirot, calling him ‘a detestable, bombastic, tiresome, egocentric
little creep’and actually planned to kill him off as early as the 1940s, when
she wrote ‘Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case’,
the novel in which Poirot meets his end.
Towards the end of the
novel, the great detective dies leaving a sealed envelope addressed to his
'Watson', Captain Hastings, containing the solution to the case. 'We shall not
hunt together again, my friend. Our first hunt was here - and our last.'
But Poirot not finally
killed off – until 1975, a year before Christie herself died. She stored this novel in a US bank vault,
heavily insured against its destruction by Nazi bombs. Intending it to be
published after her death, she was persuaded to release it in 1975 when it
became clear she was too aged to write a new book for Christmas. Its first
edition set a record sale of 1, 50,000 in first year.
‘Curtain: Poirot’s Last
Case’
POIROT IS
ONLY FICTIONAL CHARACTER FOR WHOM AN OBITUARY PUBLISHED
The death of the world's most famous
Belgian made an extraordinary impact. Among many obituaries was one with a
photograph on the front page of the New York Times-the only time a fictional
character has been afforded this accolade.
The New York Times
published an obituary for Agatha Christie's character Hercule Poirot on its
front page in 1975.
MISS
MARPLE WAS MODELLED ON HER MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER
In the literature world,
Agatha Christie is the only crime writer to have created two equally famous and
much loved characters - HerculePoirot and Miss Marple.
The intuitive English
Spinster detective ‘Miss Marple’,featuring
in 12 novels was based, in part,
on her step-grandmother and in words of Christie- “some of my
step-grandmother's Ealing cronies—old ladies whom I have met in so many
villages where I have gone to stay as a girl.”
Miss Marple’ Dominica 1996 and
Guernsey 1996
Margaret Rutherford as
Miss Jane Marple in movies: Murder, She Said (1961); Murder at the Gallop
(1963); Murder Most Foul (1964); Murder Ahoy (1964); The Alphabet Murders
(1966)
‘Murder at the Vicarage’, set
in the village of St Mary's Mead is the murder mystery novel in which the
redoubtable Jane Marple makes her first appearance. Her deductions are based on
character observations, often linked to the behaviour of the inhabitants of the
village.
‘‘Murder at the
Vicarage’, Reverse side of the Booklet pane, GB 1991
In 2013, it was voted the best crime novel
ever by 600 fellow writers of the Crime Writers' Association.
MISS MARPLESTORIES IN ONE VOLUME HOLDS RECORD OF
WORLD’S THICKEST BOOK
In 2009, Harper Collins published the World’s Thickest Book containing
in one volume allAgatha Christie's Miss Marple stories - 12 novels and 20 short
stories making it a Guinness World Records.
The book is as much a technological feat as a literary one, if not more
so. It is 4,032 pages long, all collected in a spine 322 mm (12.6 inches)
thick, bound in maroon leather with gilt writing on the cover and appropriately
enough, paged edged with red speckling. At 8.02 kilograms, it weighs as much as
a medium-sized dog, even more when it's in its bespoke suede-lined wooden box
with a handle. It's made up of 252 separate 16-page sections, which are
hand-sewn together and to the spine reading at a pace of 30 pages an hour; it
would take around 134 hours to finish the book.
In this collection, there are 68 crimes committed; 11 philandering
lovers; 68 secrets and lies; 22 false accusations; 59 red-herrings and 21
romances. In all, 43 murders are solved: 12 poisonings; 6 strangulations; 2
drownings; 2 stabbings; a burning; one blow to the head; one death by an arrow
and 2 people pushed. 143 cups of tea are drunk in the massive volume, there are
66 maids and 47 garments are knitted. 500 copies of this limited edition
record-breaking book are produced and retails atan eye-watering price of £1,000
each.
World’s
Thickest Book comes with a handle
……Contd. Pt 3
United States Columbian Issue
-Col J
Dutta & Dr Anjali Dutta
The Columbian Issue, often simply called
the Columbians, is a set of 16 postage
stamps issued by the United States to mark the World's Columbian Exposition held
in Chicago in 1893. The finely-engraved stamps were the first commemorative
stamps issued by the United States, depicting various events during the career
of Christopher Columbus and are today highly prized by collectors.
John
Wanamaker, founder of the Wanamaker’s department store chain, was Postmaster
General from March 2, 1889 until March 6, 1893. He got the idea to commemorate,
or recognize, an historic event with special stamps designed for that purpose.
The ultimate result was the Colombian Exposition issue. This colorful and
elegant series of stamps, the first commemoratives ever issued in the United
States (or the world, for that matter) celebrated the 400th anniversary of
Columbus’s landing in the New World in 1492, by portraying a number of scenes
from Columbus’ life. Instead of presenting them in chronological order with
increasing postage value, Wanamaker decided to portray the most important
events in his life on the least expensive (and most commonly used) stamps in
the series.
The Columbian stamps were supplied by the American Banknote
Company, which held a four-year contract for the production of United States
postage stamps beginning on December 1, 1889. However, where previous contracts
had required printing firms to provide designs and plates at their own expense
for any new stamps required by the Post Office, the 1889 contract specified
that the Post Office would bear those costs. Indeed, Postmaster John Wanamaker
executed a new contract with American Banknote Company specifically for the
Columbian stamps without going through any competitive bidding process, which
allowed the firm to charge 17¢ per thousand stamps, in contrast to the 7.45¢
per thousand it had been collecting for stamps of the 1890 definitive series.
This arrangement prompted considerable public criticism − not allayed by
American’s argument that the Columbians’ size (double that of normal stamps)
warranted a higher price − and Wilson Bissel, who became Postmaster General
after Grover Cleveland reassumed the Presidency in March 1893, attempted to
renegotiate the stamp contract on terms more favorable to the Post Office.
Fifteen of the stamps went on sale
Monday, January 2, 1893. They were available nationwide, and were not
restricted to the Exposition in any way. This was a larger number of stamps
than the United States Post Office had ever offered in a definitive series,
thanks to the unprecedented inclusion of stamps denominated $1, $2, $3, $4 and
$5. No U. S. postage stamp previously issued had cost more than 90¢. A
sixteenth stamp - 8 cents, to cover the newly lowered registered letter fee - was
added in March. As a result, the face value of the complete set was $16.34, a
substantial sum of money in 1893. In 2009 dollar value, the set would cost
almost $390. As a result, only a small number of the most expensive stamps,
especially the dollar values, were sold. Unsold stamps were destroyed after the
Columbian Issue was removed from sale on April 12, 1894. In all, the American
Banknote Company printed more than 2 billion Columbian stamps with a total face
value exceeding $40 million.
Opinion was mixed regarding the
Columbian Issue at the time. The set sold well and did not face the sort of
criticism that led to the withdrawal of the 1869 Pictorial Issue. However,
approval was not universal. An organization called the Society for the
Suppression of Speculative Stamps (sometimes called the Society for the
Suppression of Spurious Stamps) was created in protest over the creation of
this set, deeming the Exposition in Chicago insufficiently important to be
honored on postage, while some collectors balked at the Post Office
Department's willingness to profit from the growing hobby of philately.
Ridiculing the $5 stamp, the Chicago Tribune pointed out that it could be used
for only one purpose: mailing a 62½-pound package of books at the book rate.
The Columbians did not immediately
increase in value after being removed from sale, in part due to substantial speculation
resulting in a glut of stamps on the secondary market. However, as of 2006,
depending on condition, a full set might be valued at $100,000 or more.
It was not only in design and commemorative purpose that this
issue proved a watershed in U. S. stamp history. The Columbians, like all
previous U. S. stamps, had been produced by private security printers on
limited-term contracts periodically put out for bidding. They proved, however,
to be the last U. S. stamps printed by a private company for many years. For in
early 1894, the American Bank Note Company failed to secure a renewal of its
stamp contract because the U. S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing submitted a
lower bid; and the Bureau went on to enjoy a monopoly on U. S. stamp production
for many decades thereafter. Not until 1944 would a private company again
produce U. S. stamps – the Overrun Countries series, which required special
multicolor printing. The Bureau
subsequently resumed its exclusive role in production, only gradually
relinquishing it over the next sixty years. U. S. stamp operations at the
Bureau ceased entirely in 2005. Scholars believe that the Bureau's first task
in 1894 was to finish some Columbian sheets printed by American. What makes
this theory plausible is that, while many Columbian stamps are perfectly perforated,
others are distinctly substandard in this regard, with partially punched chads
and/or holes that are missing, ragged or misplaced - flaws that would also mar
the stamps of the first Bureau definitive issue, released later in 1894.
1¢ Columbian
Entitled
"Columbus in Sight of Land", this lowest value in the set was based
on a painting by William Powell and was one
of several to be engraved by Alfred
Jones. Jones added three Indians to the sides of the image, making
this the first United States postage stamp to depict Native Americans.
This
stamp was primarily used to pay postage on third-class mail.
Because the
images in the series were not based on the works of a single artist, Columbus's
appearance changes dramatically between this stamp, where he is clean-shaven,
and the 2-cent value, where he sports a full beard, despite the depicted events
occurring only a day apart. A total of 440,195,550 one
cent stamps were printed. The one-cent “Columbus in Sight of Land” was ranked
#46 in the book 100 Greatest
American Stamps by Janet Klug, Donald Sundman, 2008.
2¢ Columbian
John Vanderlyn's
painting "The Landing of Columbus", originally commissioned by
Congress, and already used on $5 banknotes and the 15-cent stamp from the 1869
Pictorial Issue, was again pressed into service. By a substantial margin, this
is the most common stamp of the Columbian Issue. Because two cents covered first-class domestic mail at the time,
1,464,588,750 two-cent stamps were printed, over 70 percent of the total number of the Columbian
Issue, making it the most common Columbian today.
Damage to
one transfer roll resulted in a chevron-shaped notch in the hat of the third
man on Columbus' right on some copies of this stamp. This variety, known as the
"broken hat", is no longer considered significant enough for the Scott
catalogue to provide it with its own minor number listing, although the catalogue still tracks separate, slightly
higher prices for the variant, which is popular with collectors.
John
Vanderlyn's
Landing of Columbus (1842-47), U.S. Capitol Rotunda, Washington
A plate flaw that developed during the printing
process resulted in a variety of the issue known as the "broken hat,"
referring to a nick in the hat brim of the third figure standing to the left of
Columbus
3¢ Columbian
Entitled "Flag Ship of Columbus", this value
depicts the Santa Maria. It is generally believed that a Spanish engraving was
the model for this stamp, but the source remains unknown. Regardless of its
original source, Robert Savage performed the engraving used. Although over 11.5
million were printed, this stamp also did not pay any standard postal rate in
1893. Instead it was considered a "make-up" stamp, meant to be used
in combination with other small denomination stamps to pay higher rates.
4¢ Columbian
There
is some dispute regarding the origin of the design of "Fleet of
Columbus". Like the previous value, it is widely attributed to an unknown
Spanish engraving. However, a similar image also appeared in an American book
some six months before the Exposition. There are significant differences,
however, and philatelic authors researching the issue have stated that it is
not possible to conclusively determine the origins of the design with the
information known. The stamp covered double postage on heavier first class
items. In all, 19,191,550 four-cent stamps were printed. The most significant collectible variety in the set also
occurs on this value. The normal colour of this stamp is ultramarine. A very
small number of these stamps were printed in error using the wrong colour ink,
a significantly darker shade that more closely resembles the blue of the 1-cent
stamp. At least two error sheets, totaling 200 stamps, are thought to have been
produced, although significantly fewer copies are known to have survived. The
"4-cent blue" is thus considered a great rarity, selling for
thousands of dollars; $15,750 in 2003 but only
$9,000 in 2010.
In 1857, Randolph Rogers was
commissioned to produce a number of door panels depicting Columbus's voyages,
to be hung at the United States Capitol building. The 6-cent value in the
Columbian Issue, "Columbus Welcomed at Barcelona", was taken from one
of those door panels, the seventh in Rogers's chronology. The framing figure on
the left is King Ferdinand of Spain. The one on the right is Vasco Núñez de Balboa,
a Spanish explorer inspired by Columbus's return. Robert Savage was the engraver
for the printed design.
Slight variations are known in the
purple color of this stamp. The most dramatic, a colour called red violet, is
considered significant enough to be given a minor number listing by Scott.
However, this variation is not considered to be an error like the 4-cent blue
and so does not command substantial premiums.In all, 4,707,550 of
these stamps were issued, but 48,400 remainders were destroyed in Washington in
1899.
6¢ Columbian bottom plate block of 8
Daniel Kelleher Auctions, Aug 2012
6c
Columbian, the red violet shade with bottom
sheet-margin
plate "No. 104"
ex-Higgins
When originally issued, there were only 15 stamps in the Columbian
Issue. However, when the fee for registered mail was lowered on January 1,
1893, it necessitated the introduction of 8-cent stamps. A design was prepared
based on a painting by Francisco Jover Casanova, and this stamp, titled
"Columbus Restored to Favor", was added to the Columbian issue in
March. A total of 10,656,550 of
these stamps were issued.
A pale shade of colour
10¢ Columbian
Incredible! Mosquitoes earned three Noble Prizes
-ILYAS PATEL
“Ek Machhchhar aadmi ko hijda bana sakta hai”. I heard this famous Hindi film dialogue several times. But I never heard that “Ek Machhchhar aadmi ko tin Noble Prizes bhi dila sakta hai”. Yes it is a fact! With 2015 years’ Noble Prize for Medicine again goes to Malaria research, it is now three Nobles awarded to Malaria research in last one hundred years. And therefore Mosquitoes are accredited with three Noble Prizes so far. With a serious threat of dengue fever and Zika virus, there is every possibility that they may earn even fourth one too.
Regarded as one of the most deadly diseases on the earth
once upon a time, Malaria is still not a very manageable disease and every year
at least a million people lose their lives in it. The term malaria
originates from Medieval Italian: mala aria—"bad
air"; the disease was formerly called ague or marsh
fever due to its association with swamps and marshland. The term
first appeared in the English literature about 1829. Malaria was once common in
most of Europe and North America, where it is no longer endemic, though
imported cases do occur.
Historical
Background
References to the unique periodic
fevers of malaria are found throughout recorded history, beginning in 2700 BC
in China. Hippocrates described periodic fevers, labeling them tertian,
quartan, subtertian and quotidian. The Roman Columella associated
the disease with insects from swamps. Malaria may have contributed to the
decline of the Roman Empire, and was so
pervasive in Rome that it was known as the "Roman
fever". Several regions in ancient Rome were considered at-risk for
the disease because of the favorable conditions present for malaria vectors.
Areas with the presence of stagnant water were preferred by mosquitoes for
breeding grounds whereas irrigated gardens, swamp-like grounds, runoff from
agriculture, and drainage problems from road construction led to the increase
of standing water. Researchers have also established that close relatives of
the human malaria parasites remain common in chimpanzees. Some evidence
suggests that the P. falciparum malaria may have
originated in gorillas.
Being
a widespread and potentially lethal human infectious disease, at its peak malaria infested every continent, except Antarctica.
Various scientists and scientific journals, including Nature and National Geographic, have theorized that malaria may have killed around or above half of all humans who
have ever lived. Its prevention
and treatment have been targeted in science and medicine for hundreds of years.
Since the discovery of the parasites which cause it, research attention has
focused on their biology, as well as that of the mosquitoes which transmit the
parasites.
In
view of its wide spread lethal power, Malaria researchers have won multiple
Nobel Prizes for their achievements, although the disease continues to afflict
some 200 million patients each year, killing more than 600,000.
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne
infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by
parasitic protozoans (a group of
single-celled microorganisms) belonging to
the genus Plasmodium. Malaria causes symptoms that typically
include fever, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases
it can cause yellow skin, seizures, coma or death. The disease is transmitted by the
biting of mosquito, and the symptoms usually begin ten to fifteen days after
being bitten. If not properly treated, people may have recurrences of the
disease months later. In those who have recently survived an infection,
re-infection usually causes milder symptoms. This partial resistance disappears
over months to years if the person has no continuing exposure to malaria.
The disease is most commonly
transmitted by an infected female Anopheles mosquito. The
mosquito bite introduces the parasites from the mosquito's saliva
into a person's blood. The
parasites travel to the liver where they mature and reproduce. Five species
of Plasmodium can infect and be spread by humans. Most
deaths are caused by P. falciparum because P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae generally
cause a milder form of malaria. The species P. knowlesi rarely
causes disease in humans. Malaria is typically diagnosed by the
microscopic examination of blood using blood films, or withantigen-based rapid
diagnostic tests. The disease is widespread in the tropical and subtropical regions
that exist in a broad band around the equator. This
includes much of Sub-Saharan
Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Malaria is
commonly associated with poverty and has a major negative effect on economic
development.
Signs and
symptoms
The signs and symptoms of malaria
typically begin 8–25 days following infection; however, symptoms may occur
later in those who have taken anti-malarial medications as prevention. Initial
manifestations of the disease - common to all malaria species - are similar to
flu-like symptoms, and can resemble other conditions such as sepsis,
gastroenteritis, and viral diseases. The presentation may include; headache,
fever, shivering, joint pain, vomiting, hemolytic anemia, jaundice, hemoglobin
in the urine, retinal damage, and convulsions. The classic symptom of malaria
is paroxysm—a cyclical occurrence of sudden coldness followed by shivering and
then fever and sweating, occurring every two days (tertian fever) in P. vivax
and P. ovale infections, and every three days (quartan fever) for P. malariae.
P. falciparum infection can cause recurrent fever every 36–48 hours, or a less
pronounced and almost continuous fever.
Severe malaria is usually caused
by P. falciparum (often referred to as falciparum
malaria). Symptoms of falciparum malaria arise 9–30 days after
infection. Individuals with cerebral malaria frequently exhibit neurological symptoms,
including abnormal
posturing, nystagmus, conjugate
gaze palsy (failure of the eyes to turn together in the same direction), opisthotonus, seizures, or coma.
Complications
Malaria has several serious complications. Among these is
the development of respiratory
distress, which occurs in up to 25% of adults and 40% of children with severe P. falciparum malaria.
Possible causes include respiratory compensation of metabolic
acidosis, noncardiogenic pulmonary oedema,
concomitant pneumonia, and
severe anemia. Although rare
in young children with severe malaria, acute
respiratory distress syndrome occurs in 5–25% of adults and up to 29% of pregnant
women. Co-infection of HIV with malaria increases mortality. Renal
failure is a feature of blackwater fever, where
hemoglobin from lysed red blood
cells leaks into the urine.
Infection with P. falciparum may
result in cerebral malaria, a form of severe malaria that involves encephalopathy. It is
associated with retinal whitening, which may be a useful clinical sign in
distinguishing malaria from other causes of fever. Splenomegaly, severe
headache, hepatomegaly (enlarged
liver), hypoglycemia, and
hemoglobinuria with renal failure may
occur. Complications may include spontaneous bleeding and coagulopathy.
May cause shock also. Malaria
in pregnant women is an important cause of stillbirths, infant mortality, abortion and low birth weight, particularly
in P. falciparum infection, but also with P. vivax.
Life cycle
In the life cycle of Plasmodium,
a female Anopheles mosquito
(the definitive
host) transmits a motile infective form (called thesporozoite) to a vertebrate
host such as a human (the secondary host), thus acting as a transmission vector. Only female
mosquitoes feed on blood; male mosquitoes feed on plant nectar, and do not
transmit the disease. The females of the Anopheles genus of mosquito
prefer to feed at night. They usually start searching for a meal at dusk, and
will continue throughout the night until taking a meal. Malaria parasites
can also be transmitted by blood transfusions, although this
is rare.
Diagnosis
Malaria is usually confirmed by the
microscopic examination of blood films or by antigen-based rapid
diagnostic tests (RDT). Microscopy is the most commonly used
method to detect the malaria parasite. Despite its widespread usage,
diagnosis by microscopy suffers from two main drawbacks: many settings
(especially rural) are not equipped to perform the test, and the accuracy of
the results depends on both the skill of the person examining the blood film
and the levels of the parasite in the blood.
Classification
Malaria is classified into either
"severe" or "uncomplicated" by the World
Health Organization (WHO). It is deemed severe
when any of these criteria are present; (i) Decreased consciousness, (ii) Significant
weakness such that the person is unable to walk, (iii) Inability to feed, (iv)
Two or more convulsions, (v) Low
blood pressure (less than 70 mmHg in adults and 50 mmHg in children), (vi) Breathing
problems, (vii) Circulatory shock, (viii) Kidney failure or hemoglobin in the
urine, (ix) Bleeding problems, or hemoglobin less than 50 g/L
(5 g/dL), (x) Pulmonary edema, (xi) Blood glucose less than
2.2 mmol/L (40 mg/dL), (xii) Acidosis or lactate levels of
greater than 5 mmol/L, (xiii) A parasite level in the blood of greater
than 100,000 per microlitre (µL) in
low-intensity transmission areas, or 250,000 per µL in high-intensity
transmission areas. Otherwise it is considered uncomplicated.
Cerebral malaria is defined as a
severe P. falciparum-malaria presenting with neurological
symptoms, including coma (with a Glasgow
coma scale less than 11, or a Blantyre
coma scale greater than 3), or with a coma that lasts longer than 30 minutes
after a seizure.
Prevention
The risk of disease can be reduced
by preventing mosquito bites by using mosquito nets and insect repellents, or with
mosquito-control measures such as spraying insecticides and
draining standing water. Methods used to prevent malaria include
medications, mosquito elimination and the prevention of bites. There is
no vaccine
for malaria. The presence of malaria in an area requires a combination of high human
population density, high anopheles mosquito population density and high rates
of transmission from humans to mosquitoes and from mosquitoes to humans. If any
of these is lowered sufficiently, the parasite will eventually disappear from
that area, as happened in North America, Europe and parts of the Middle East.
In areas where malaria is common,
children under five years old often have anemia which is
sometimes due to malaria. Giving children with anemia in these areas preventive
anti malarial medication improves red blood cell levels slightly but did not
affect the risk of death or need for hospitalization.
Mosquito control
For
thousands of years, traditional herbal remedies have been used to treat malaria. The first effective treatment for
malaria came from the bark of cinchona tree,
which contains quinine
.
After the link to mosquitoes and their parasites were identified in the early
twentieth century, mosquito control measures such as widespread use of DDT, swamp drainage; covering or oiling
the surface of open water sources, indoor residual spraying and use of
insecticide treated nets was initiated. Prophylactic quinine was prescribed in
malaria endemic areas, and new therapeutic drugs, including chloroquine and artemisinins,
were used to resist the scourge.
At
the close of the 20th century, malaria remained endemic in more than
100 countries throughout the tropical and subtropical zones, including large
areas of Central and South America, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican
Republic), Africa, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia,
and Oceania. The reasons that have complicated control measures are; resistance
of plasmodium to anti-malaria drugs, resistance of mosquito to insecticides and
the discovery of zoonotic species of the parasite.
Vector control refers to
methods used to decrease malaria by reducing the levels of transmission by
mosquitoes. For individual protection, the most effective insect repellents are based
on DEET or picaridin. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) and indoor
residual spraying (IRS) have been shown to be highly effective in
preventing malaria among children in areas where malaria is common. Prompt
treatment of confirmed cases with artemisinin-based combination therapies
(ACTs) may also reduce transmission.
Mosquito nets help keep mosquitoes
away from people and reduce infection rates and transmission of malaria. Nets
are not a perfect barrier and are often treated with an insecticide designed to
kill the mosquito. Insecticide-treated nets are estimated to be twice as
effective as untreated nets and offer greater than 70% protection compared with
no net.
Indoor residual spraying (IRS) is
the spraying of insecticides on the walls inside a home. As of 2006, the World
Health Organization recommends 12 insecticides in IRS operations,
including DDT. This
public health use of small amounts of DDT is permitted under the Stockholm
Convention, which prohibits its agricultural use.
Other methods
There are a number of other methods
to reduce mosquito bites and slow the spread of malaria. Efforts to decrease
mosquito larva by decreasing the availability of open water in which they
develop or by adding substances to decrease their development is effective in
some locations. Electronic mosquito repellent devices which make very high
frequency sounds that are supposed to keep female mosquitoes away do not have
supporting evidence.
Community participation and health education strategies promoting awareness of malaria and the importance of control measures have been successfully used to reduce the incidence of malaria in some areas of the developing world. Recognizing the disease in the early stages can stop the disease from becoming fatal. Education can also inform people to cover over areas of stagnant, still water, such as water tanks that are ideal breeding grounds for the parasite and mosquito, thus cutting down the risk of the transmission between people. This is generally used in urban areas where there are large centers of population in a confined space and transmission would be most likely in these areas. Intermittent preventive therapy is another intervention that has been used successfully to control malaria in pregnant women and infants, and in preschool children where transmission is seasonal.
To
be contd….
New
issues from other Countries
Slovenia
: 27 January 2017
Greetings
Stamp - Miniature Painted Chest
Love... kept safely in a box
Over the centuries people in Slovenia
have traditionally used at least three different types of chest. Large ones
were used to store clothes and various valuable items. The most numerous kind
were those used to store grain, and also dried fruit or beans. The third type
consists of small chests, frequently also mere boxes or caskets, made of wood
and other materials, that people used to store little items of value, gifts,
letters and photographs.
These small chests are still widely
used today. People use them to store special gifts that often represent the
tangible manifestation of a romantic relationship, or even simply the memory of
a love story. A first love letter, a chain, a ring, a pendant... All these
items find a home in a vast variety of little boxes and caskets, where they
represent, for their owners, the most intimate ties to specific individuals,
memories of a special person, events, encounters, special days, personal
celebrations or important milestones in their life. Such chests or boxes are
often carefully stored and, together with the items they contain, afford us a
genuine experience of memories of people, events and expressions of love.
Romania
25
January 2017: Wild Orchids
Gracious
shapes and superb colours, this is what we think of when we hear the word
“orchids”. We’re used to them as an exotic presence that we associate with
distant tropical paradises, but Romania is also the homeland of several species
of wild orchids. These orchids, few in number, about 70 different species,
bloom on the hills and mountains of Romania from April to September. Some of
them are extremely rare, most are threatened by expanding human activities, all
being beautiful as a poem.
Epipactis
atrorubens, illustrated on the stamp with the face value of Lei 2.20, in its
popular name the Dark Red Helleborine is hardy and has a short, hairy
rootstalk, often with multiple, fleshy roots. It blooms from June to July with
inflorescences standing between 20 and 80 cm in height. The blossoms emit a
strong vanilla scent, especially in warm weather. Although they sometimes vary
in colour, they are generally reddish-brown, and they are often pollinated by
insects, particularly bees. The fruit is a capsule, out of which the light,
dust-like seeds are spread by the wind. A number of natural hybrids with other
Epipactis species are known, like the hybrid with Epipactis Helleborine which
produced Epipactis x schmalhausenii.
Epipactis
atrorubens is widespread across Europe, and is found in the north to the
subarctic, in the south to the Mediterranean, and in the east to Western
Siberia and the Caucasus. The orchid grows at altitudes from sea level to 2400
m, but in Central Europe it has been in decline in recent decades. It is not,
however, one of the most severely threatened species of orchid.
Cephalanthera
damasonium (the White Helleborine), illustrated on the stamp with the face
value of Lei 4.50, is a species of orchid which is widespread across much of
Europe and the Middle East from England and Sweden to Russia and Iran; also
Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Yunnan. It is the type species of the genus
Cephalanthera. The flowers of this species hardly open, because they are
autogamous (self-pollinating). This pollination means enables the White
Helleborine to grow in deep shade, where the pollinators are almost
absent.
Orchis
purpurea, popularly known as the Lady orchid, illustrated on the stamp with the
face value of Lei 8, is an orchid that can grow up to 100 cm tall. It has broad
and oblong-lanceolate leaves up to 15 cm, forming a rosette at the base. The
flowers in a rod assembly number up to 50 pieces, with a colour ranging from
white to various shades of pink and purple.
This
wild orchid grows in the sunny forests of Europe, North Africa and Turkey and
blooms in April and May.In alternative folk medicine, the part that is
underground is used in cases of indigestion.
Epipactis
Helleborine (the Broad-leaved Helleborine), illustrated on the stamp with the
face value of Lei 15, grows to a height of 80 cm and has broad dull green
leaves which are strongly ribbed and flat.
It
is widespread across much of Europe and Asia from Portugal to China, as well as
northern Africa. Eight varieties of Epipactis Helleborine in central Europe
(Lower Silesia, Poland) had their nectar studied and they were found to contain
naturally occurring oxycodone (as well as another narcotic like opioid) in
minute amounts.The issue is completed by a set of 4 different maximum cards.
Gibraltar
30 January 2017 : Chinese year of Rooster
The year of Rooster begins on the 28th
January 2017 and finishes on the 15th February 2018. The Rooster (or Chicken)
occupies the 10th position among the Chinese zodiac animals. In Chinese
culture, the Rooster represents fidelity and punctuality, for it wakes people
up on time. People born in the year of the Rooster are beautiful, kind-hearted,
hard-working, courageous, independent, humorous and honest. They like to keep
their homes neat and organized. On the other side, they might be arrogant,
self-aggrandizing, persuasive to others and wild as well as admire things or
persons blindly.
Blogs
& Websites
Philatelic Clubs & Societies
Chandigarh Philatelic Club
Deccan Philatelic Society – Pune, Maharashtra
Ludhiana Philatelic Club
Numismatic &
Philatelic Association of Vellore Fort http://numismaticphilavellore.site40.net/index.htm
Philatelic Society of Rajasthan, Jaipur
Rajkot Philatelic Society – Rajkot, Gujarat
Gujarat Philatelic Association - Ahmedabad
The Army Philatelic Society, Pune
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STAMP CLUB
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Current Philatelic Magazines – Newsletters
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Ananthpuri
Stamp Bulletin - Monthly e -stamp
bulletin of Anathapuri Philatelic Association, Thiruvanthapuram
Journal
of the Army Philatelic Society : Editor – Col Jayanta Dutta
Stamp of India Collectors’
Companion - India’s
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Stamps Today – Stamp & Coin
Magazine edited by Vijay Seth
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issue :
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R.- Bangalore, Naresh Agrawal – Bilaspur, Col Jayanta Dutta - Pune
Address for communication:
Jeevan Jyoti,
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