The Ministry of Communications, Central government, has introduced the Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana (Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby) across the nation. This scholarship program is designed for school students throughout India who have a passion for philately. The primary goal of the Deen Dayal Sparsh Yojana is to broaden the engagement of students in the world of stamp collecting.
Through the Deen Dayal SPARSH initiative, the Ministry of Communications intends to grant yearly scholarships to deserving students. This scheme is open to pupils in grades VI through IX. However, these benefits are reserved for students who maintain strong academic performance while actively pursuing philately as a hobby. The Department of Posts, under the Ministry of Communications, is responsible for executing this program.
Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana 2026 - Comprehensive Overview
The Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana aims to achieve the following:-
- Grant 920 scholarships to students nationwide to support their interest in philately.
- Each Postal Circle will award up to 40 scholarships, distributed among 10 students each from grades VI, VII, VIII, and IX.
- Funds will be distributed on a quarterly basis to regular students enrolled in classes VI to IX at recognized institutions.
- Scholarships will be awarded to students who meet the necessary eligibility requirements and successfully complete the selection process.
- The total scholarship value is Rs. 6000/- per year, paid at a rate of Rs. 500/- per month.
- Scholarships are granted for a one-year term; however, previous recipients may apply again in subsequent years, provided they continue to meet all criteria.
- Participating schools will be assigned a Philately Mentor, selected from a pool of experienced philatelists.
- These mentors will assist in establishing school-based philately clubs, offering guidance to budding collectors on hobby development and philatelic projects.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be enrolled in a recognized school within India.
- The student's school should host a Philately Club, and the applicant must be an active member.
- If a school lacks a formal Philately Club, students with a personal Philately Deposit Account may be eligible.
- Candidates are required to have a strong academic history, with a minimum of 60% marks or an equivalent grade in their latest final examinations. A 5% relaxation is provided for SC/ST students.
Selection Process
- Recipients for the Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana are selected based on their philatelic project work and their performance in district-level philately quizzes.
- A circle-level committee, comprised of postal staff and expert philatelists, will review and evaluate the project submissions.
- The specific topics for the project work will be announced by the relevant postal circles during the notification phase.
Scholarship Disbursement
- Selected students must open a joint bank account with their parents at an India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) or a Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) branch equipped with core banking services.
- Postal Circles will identify the winners and provide the beneficiary list to the IPPB/POSB for payment processing.
- The IPPB/POSB will ensure quarterly scholarship payments (Rs. 1500/- per quarter) upon receiving the approved lists from the circles.
Interested students can access the official scheme guidelines by clicking the link provided. Download Deen Dayal Sparsh Yojana Guidelines - https://www.indiapost.gov.in/Philately/DOP_PDFFiles/SPARSH%20.pdf
The provided guidelines document is available in both Hindi and English.