About Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana 'SPARSH' - Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby Deen Dayal Sparsh Yojana, a Pan India Scholarship Programme was launched on 03.11.17 by the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, Government of India. The objective of the scholarship is to “Promote Philately among children at a young age in a sustainable manner that can reinforce and supplement the academic curriculum in addition to providing a hobby that can help them relax and de-stress”. About Philately Philately is the collection and study of Postage stamps. It also entails the collection, appreciation and research activities on stamps and other related philatelic products. The hobby of collecting Stamps includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloguing, displaying, storing, and maintaining the stamps or related products on thematic areas. Stamp collection as a hobby has lot of educational benefits as it teaches a lot about the socio economic political reality of the period in which the stamp is issued or the theme on which it is issued. Maintaining a collection can be a relaxing activity that counteracts the stress of life, while providing a purposeful pursuit which prevents boredom. The hobby leads to social connect between people with similar interests and the development of new friendships. Collecting also hones the memory skills by working on the need of the human brain to catalogue and organize information and give meaning to ones actions. Eligibility condition for the award under the scheme Candidate must be a student of a recognized School within India. Students studying in Class 6 to 9 Student should have scored at least 60% marks in the recent final examination. 5% relaxation is given for SC and ST students Concerned School should have a Philately Club and the candidate 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. Every Postal Circle will give a maximum of 40 scholarships to 10 students each from Standard 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th. Selection Procedure Selections under the Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana would be made based on the evaluation of Project work on Philately & performance in Philately Quiz conducted by the Circles. A committee constituted at the circle level consisting of Postal Officials and renowned Philatelists would evaluate the Project work on Philately submitted by the candidate. List of Topics on which Project has to be made would be provided by the circles while issuing the notifications. Selections to the scholarship would be for one year. An already selected student can apply for the scholarship next year provided he/she fulfils other criteria. Disbursement of Scholarship The awardees will be asked to open Joint account with parents in India Post Payment Bank (IPPB) or Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) in a branch, which has core banking facility. Each Postal Circle will select the awardees and hand over the list of beneficiaries to IPPB/POSB for payment of scholarship. IPPB/POSB will ensure that the scholarship is paid to awardees on quarterly basis (Rs. 1500/- each quarter) after getting the list from each Circle. Application Process (Offline) Step 1: The applicant should download the Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana application form from the respective Postal Circle portal. Step 2: The applicant should duly fill in all the mandatory fields in the application form and attach the required documents (self-attest if required). Step 3: The candidates should enclose the application form and the required documents and send it through a registered post, speed post or submit it in person to the concerned Regional Head / Divisional Head. Note: The schools can also apply for the Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana on behalf of the students. The applications of all the interested candidates of a school can be sent in one envelope by the school in-charge/head by Post or by Hand. Further Processes: Step 1: Every Postal Circle will conduct a Philately Quiz. The list of topics on which the project has to be made would be provided by the circles while issuing the notifications.Step 2: The Project work on Philately submitted by the candidate will be evaluated by a committee constituted at the circle level consisting of Postal Officials and renowned Philatelists.Step 3: Each Postal Circle will select the awardees and hand over the list of beneficiaries to IPPB/POSB for payment of the scholarship.Step 4: The awardees will be asked to open a Joint account with parents in India Post Payment Bank or Post Office Savings Bank in a branch, which has a core banking facility. Documents Required Marksheets of the Previous Qualifying Examination Bonafide Certificate from the School Philately Club's Membership or Account Details Identity Proof Bank Details Caste Certificate (if applicable) Source: India Post