Context:

Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana scholarship by India Post to inculcate the hobby of Philately among the students

Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana 

• SPARSH Yojana stands for Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby.
• The Department of Posts launched this Scheme to award children in the class category of Standard VI to IX to promote Philately among school students since 2017-18.

Philately is the collection and study of Postage stamps.

• It Awards students at the Pan India level for pursuing Philately as a hobby.
• Under this scheme, 40 scholarships will be offered this year to meritorious students who have an interest in Philately. 
• 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.
• The amount of Scholarships is to be Rs. 6000/- per annum at Rs. 500/- per month which will be payable on quarterly basis.
• Selections to the scholarship would be for one year and there would be no bar on an already selected student applying for the scholarship next year.

Eligibility condition

• Candidate must be a student of a recognised school in India.
• The concerned school should have a Philately club and the candidate should a member of the club.
• The candidate must have secured at least 60 percent marks or equivalent grade/grade points in the last final examination. There will be a relaxation of 5% for SC/ST candidates.

Selection Procedure 

• Selections under the yojana would be made based on the evaluation of Project work on Philately and performance in the Philately Quiz conducted by the Circle level.
• a committee of Postal officers and eminent Philatelists will also be constituted at the circle level.