BetterPhilately Wishlist for India Post Stamps

Update (23 Aug 2020): A few minor things added and updated below.

Update (02 Feb 2020): Some more stamps from my wish list have been issued over the last few months. I've also added a few more subjects that I believe deserve to be commemorated on India Post stamps.

Update (08 Sep 2019): Some of the stamps on my wish list have been issued recently. I've added some more subjects and details that I hope are considered when finalizing the stamp issues over the next few years.

Update (23 Jun 2019): I've been making minor updates to this list. A few of the stamps on the wish list have been getting approved, so that's a cool thing. I'm hoping India Post takes input from stamp collectors in building out the stamp issue program for the next several years and keeps the average cost for collectors somewhat manageable.

Original Post (04 Oct 2018): This post will be a source to aggregate stamp subject suggestions or ideas that India Post can use to design stamp programs for future years. I have posted some of this information in couple of other posts and on the twitter feed as well. The list is simply organized by year, and separately lists some other personalities, events and themes that I'd like to see being issued as postal stamps. Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments section below. When I make modifications, those will all be mentioned at the bottom of this post.

2018
19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche
Acharya Bodhidharma
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (Approved)
Chandrakant T. Patel
Dhanraj Bhagat
L. L. Narayan
Laxmanrao Inamdar
Ramanand Sagar
Sikander Bhakt
Srimant Sankardev
Vinda Karandikar

100 Years of Kheda Movement
100 Years of Sabarmati Ashram
The Maihar Band (100 Years)
The Yoga Institute, Mumbai (100 Years)

2019
Amrita Pritam
Chandrashekhar Saraswati Mahaperiyavar
I. K. Gujral
Kasturba Gandhi (75th Death Anniversary)
Maharani Gayatri Devi
Maniram Dewan
Raja Todarmal
Rana Kumbha (600th Birth Anniversary)
Shivmangal Singh Suman
Sudhir Phadke
Vijaya Raje Scindia (Approved)

50 Years of Rajdhani Express
Auckland House School, Shimla
CMC Ludhiana
High Court of Punjab & Haryana Centenary
ISRO - Golden Jubilee (Magalyaan, Chandrayan and Vikram Sarabhai)
La Martiniere Girls’ College, Lucknow (150 Years)
Margazhi Music Season (Brahma & Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabhas)
Rajkumar College, Rajkot (150 Years)

Sherwood College, Nainital

2020
Pandurang Shastri Athavle
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
36th International Geological Congress
Modern School, New Delhi
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee

2021
75 Years of India's Independence
India-Bangladesh: Joint Issue (50 & 75 Years of Independence)

Army War College, Mhow

Other Events & Organizations
Bishop Cotton School, Bengaluru

Bombay Scottish School, Mumbai

Dayalbagh
Gir Wildlife Sanctuary

Thematic Issues

Ancient Universities - Nalanda, Vikramshila, Takshashila, Odantapuri, Vallabhi, Nagarjunkonda
Architecture
Art & Culture
Caves - Ajanta, Borra, Ellora, Elephanta, Kanheri, Badami, Bhimbhetka, Kandagiri, Undavalli, Udayagiri
Dams and Reservoirs
Famous Libraries - Allahabad Public, Saraswathi Mahal, Amar Mahal, Asiatic Society Mumbai, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana State Central libraries
Festivals - Kullu Dussehra, Holi, Chhath Festival, Janmashtami (Krishna Jayanti), Baisakhi, Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Utsav, Eid Mubarak
Horses - Spiti and Kati
Indian Lakes - Bhoj Tal, Chilika, Dal Lake, Damdama, Hussain Sagar, Loktak, Naini Tal, Nal Sarovar, Pichola, Pushkar Lake, Sambhar, Suraj Tal, Vembanad, Wular
Indian Perfumes - Musk, Saffron, Khus, Kewra, Vetiver, Champa
Indian Traditions
Joint Stamp Issues with Australia, Bhutan, Germany, Nigeria, Oman, Switzerland, UK, UAE, USA
Jyotirlinga Temples (12 designs)
Landmark Bridges - Dhola Sadiya, Bogibeel
Luxury Trains - Palace on Wheels, Deccan Odyssey, Golden Chariot, Maharajas Express
Master Healers of AYUSH - Rajendra Lal Dutta, P. S. Varier, B. K. S. Iyengar
Medicinal Flowers of AYUSH - Saffron, Rose, Marigold, Violet, Avaram Senna, Hibiscus, Jasmine, Thumba, Neelkamal, Nagchampa, Palash, Sahijana (Drumstick)
Musical Instruments

Museums of India - Napier Museum, Bhau Daji Lad Museum, National Rail Museum, CSM Vastu Sangrahalaya, Gass Forest Museum, Watson Museum
Natural Heritage - National Parks and Tiger Reserves
Post Office Heritage Buildings - Patna GPO, Bhagalpur HPO, PTC Darbhanga, Mandi HPO, Panaji HPO, Amritsar HPO, Darjeeling HPO, Varanasi HPO, Circle Offices in Bengaluru, Lucknow and Trivandrum
Railway Bridges - Godavari Arch Bridge, Vembanad Bridge, Farakka Barrage, Digha-Sonpur Bridge
Railway Station Buildings
Social Causes - Blood donation, Organ donation, Heart health, Child safety, Prevent child mortality, Epilepsy awareness
Textiles - Chanderi, Maheshwari, Paithani, Jamdani, Kota, Sambalpuri, Angami Weaves, Tat
Toy Trains - Neral Matheran Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Other Personalities
Ashok Singhal
Babasaheb Apte
Banda Singh Bahadur
B. D. Jatti
Balasaheb Thackarey
Balasheb Deoras
Balraj Madhok
Chinmayananda Saraswati
Dattopant Thengadi (approved)
Dadu Dayal
Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy
Dayanand Saraswati
Eknath Ranade
Gopal Swarup Pathak
Ghulam Sarwar
J. Jayalalithaa
Kaka Hathrasi
Kesahavdas
K. R. Narayanan
Khushabhau Thakre
Madhukar Rao Bhagwat
Madhvacharya
Makhanlal Chaturvedi
Marnopant Pingley
Mohammad Hidayatullah
M. S. Golwalkar
Nimbakacharya
N. Sanjeeva Reddy
P. V. Narasimha Rao (approved)
Pandurang Kane
Rajendra Singh
Ramchandra Das Paramhans
Raskhan
Sachchidananda Vatsyayan 'Agyeya'
Satguru Ram Singh
Shivmangal Singh Suman
Sita Ram Goel
Siyaram Sharan Gupt
Swami Abhedananda
Swaraj P. Gupta
V. P. Singh
Jnanpith Award Winners
Cartoonists - Sudhir Pillai, Abu Abhraham, Mario Miranda
Musicians/Singers - G. M. Durrani, Mahendra Kapoor, P. B. Sreenivas

Issued by India Post
150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (02 Oct 2018)
200 Years of Paika Rebellion (24 Dec 2018)
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Special definitive on 25 Dec 2018)
Mahamati Prannath (25 Jan 2019)
Vedanta Desikan (01 May 2019)
Jallianwala Bagh Incident Centenary (13 Apr 2019)
Maharshi Mahesh Yogi (30 Aug 2019)
Master Healers of AYUSH - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Vaidya Shastri Shankar Daji Pade, Vaidya Bhaskara Vishwanath Gokhale, Vaidyabhushanam K Raghavan Thirumulpad, Rajvaidya Shri Brihaspati Dev Triguna, Swami Kuvalayananda, Hakim Md. Abdul Aziz Lakhnawi, Vaidya Yadavji Trikamji Acharya, Dr. Dinshaw Mehta, T. V. Sambasivam Pillai (30 Aug 2019)
Accessible Elections (Election Commission) (MyStamp 13 Apr 2019)
Queen Heo Hwang-ok - Suriratna (30 Jul 2019)
International Labor Organization Centenary (22 Jan 2020)
50th International Film Festival of India (MyStamp 20 Nov 2019)
150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-2019) (02 Oct 2019)
50 Years of Commercial Nuclear Power – Tarapur (MyStamp 28 Nov 2019)

Doordarshan (60 Years) (MyStamp 16 Sep 2019)

Air Force Marshal Arjan Singh (08 Oct 2019)
Guru Nanak Dev (550th Parkash Utsav) (09 Nov 2019)

Blood donation (Apollo Hospitals MyStamp 2019)

ASSOCHAM (MyStamp 20 Dec 2019)

Conference of the Parties to Convention on Migratory Species (MyStamp 17 Feb 2020)

India Post Approved & Pending Stamp Proposals

Update (23 Aug 2020): Added new updates below.

Update (02 Feb 2020): Added new updates below.

Update (07 Sep 2019): Added updates for pending, approved and recently issued stamps. 

Update (15 Jan 2019): Now showing the stamps on Greeting (2001) as issued in 2001 itself. Blog reader had pointed out, and I'm in agreement with the suggestion.

Update (05 Jan 2019): Added the list of approved stamps (2017-19) from the last PAC meeting of India Post in 2017. Many of the approved subjects were issued in 2017 and 2018, but the remaining subjects could be used for issuance in 2019 and beyond. I've included stamps on Jamshedpur and CIPET that were recently approved as well.

Original Post: I will post details for stamp subjects and proposals that have been submitted to India Post over the last two decades. This can be used as a source to track approved stamp subjects and dead issues.

Stamp Issues Approved, but Not Released
2001
Set of 4 stamps on Dances of India
Set of 4 stamps on Hitopadesha and Jataka Tales (Approved)

2005
India-Oman Joint Issue
SAARC Charter Day

2006
Himalayan Lakes – Loktak, Suraj Tal, Naini Tal
Landmark Bridges – Coronation Bridge, Kandrour Bridge, Laxman Jhula, Godavari Bridge
Pramathesh Barua

2007
Battaqh Ali Ansari

2008
Festivals of India – Kulu Dussehra
Infantry Soldier – Year of Infantry
Jammu & Kashmir Light Regiment
Maulana Atikur Rehman Alvi
Mahanamrata Brahmachari

2009
Architectural Splendor – Ujjayanta Palace, Patwon ki Haveli, Mattancherry Palace
Buddha Jayanti
Caves (Tracing Civilizations) – Bhimbetka, Barabar, Udaigiri, Nagarjuna
Children’s Fables – Vikram & Betal, Mogli, Tenali Rama, Birbal
Hill Stations (Colonial Heritage) – Gulmarg, Darjeeling, Ooty, Shimla
Endangered Species – Ganges River Dolphin, Nilgiri Tahr, Lion Tailed Macaque, Himalayan Musk Deer
Greetings – Christmas, New Year
House Boats – Kerala, Kashmir
National Gallery of Modern Art
Seasons of India
Shakti Temples – Kalighat, Meenakshi, Vaishno Devi, Kamakhya (Approved)
Unique Villages of India – Toda, Kutch
UN Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities

2012
Asiatic Black Bear and other wild animals (Set of 4 stamps)
Boats of India (Set of 4 stamps)
Flowers of India (Set of 2 stamps)
Government College, Ajmer
Railway Bridges of India (Set of 4 stamps)
Traditional Embroideries of India - Chikankari, Kutchi, Kashmiri, Phulkari, Kantha
Tribal Dwellings (Set of 4 stamps)

2013
Dr. Nilratan Sircar
India-Peru Joint Issue
South Asian Postal Union

2014
Machali, The Tigress

2016-17
Gaurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu' (Approved)
Lala Thunthee Mull
M. Balamuralikrishna
Raja Todarmal

Sant Pipaji Maharaj
Swami Karpatri Ji

Aquaculture

Birds: Endangered & Critically Endangered

Boats of India
Bridal Costumes of India

Jataka Tales

Mangalyan

Mehandi (Lawsona inermis)
Minerals of India
Palace on Wheels
Puppets

Shaktipeeth Temples

Tribes of India

Wildlife – Flora & Fauna

2018-19

Acharya Bodhihdharma & Efflorescence of Zen Culture

Acharya Konda Laxman Bapuji
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Dr. B. P. Radhakrishna
Girdharilal Bhargava

Pandit Savai Gandharva
Raja Jailal Singh
Vijaya Raje Scindia

Aga Khan Foundation
Eastern Naval Command (50 Years)
HMS Minden & HMS Trincomalee (1810-1811)
Induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mk II
University of Mysore

Pending Stamp Proposals
2017 Proposals
All India Management Association
Architectural Heritage of Pune
Bangiya Sahitya Parishad
Blue Star Limited
CMC Ludhiana
Erani Martyrs
Federation of Gujarat Industries
Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (50 years)
Guntur Municipality (150 years)
Haifa Victory
Institute of Company Secretaries of India
Madras High Court Heritage Building (125 years)
Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain
Musical Instruments (Paid by Datta Peetham)
National Commission for Women
National Housing Development Corporation
Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana (50 years)
Rann Utsav
Sangam (Prayagraj)
St. Michael High School, Patna
World Blood Donors Day
World Thalassemia Day

2018 Proposals
36th International Geological Congress (IGC)
70 Years of Olympic Hockey Gold Medal
Akhil Bharatvarshiya Jaiswal Jain Mahasabha
Dhola Sadiya Bridge of Assam
Epilepsy
Golden Jubilee of Howrah Rajdhani Express
Honey Bee
Kolkata GPO
Queen Pineapple (Tripura)

2019 Proposals
All Saint' College, Nainital (150th Anniversary)
Acharya Shanti Sagar Maharaj
Dr. Rafiuddin Ahmed
I. K. Gujral (100th Anniversary)
International Widows' Day
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (Bi-centenary)
ISRO (50th Anniversary)
Kishori Das Vajpayee
La Martiniere Girls' College, Lucknow (150th Anniversary)
M. S. Naicker
Mysore V. Doraiswamy Iyengar
Nadar Saraswathi Primary School, Theni
National Service Scheme (50th Anniversary)
Rao Jaimal Rathore
Sherwood College, Nainital (150th Anniversary)
Shivakumara Swami Ji
Thangasseri Fort, Kollam (500 Years)
Ustad Allarakha Khan (100th Anniversary)
Venkatarama Reddy (150th Anniversary)
Vikram Sarabhai (100th Anniversary)
Wazir Mohammad Hakla

Stamps Eventually Issued
2001 - Set of 2 stamps on Greetings (Issued on 18 Dec 2001)
2018 - Professor Ram Chand Paul (Issued on 06 Mar 2019)
2018 - Vedanta Desikan (Issued on 02 May 2019)
2018 - Aero India 2019 (Issued on 23 Feb 2019)
2018 - MyStamp - Accessible Elections (Karnataka CEO) (Issued on 13 Apr 2019)
2018 - Kumbh Mela 2019 (Issued on 02 Feb 2019)
2018 - Master Healers of AYUSH (Issued on 30 Aug 2019)
2018 - Central Institute of Plastics Technology and Engineering (Issued on 24 Jan 2019)
2016 - India's Participation in World War I (Issued on 20 Aug 2019)
2016 - Indian Perfumes (Issued on 01 Aug 2019)
2016-17 - Embroideries of India (Issued on 19 Dec 2019)
2018 - Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (Issued on 26 Dec 2019)
2018 - International Labor Organization (Issued on 22 Jan 2020)
2019 - The Samaja (Odia Daily) (Issued on 04 Oct 2019)
2019 - MyStamp - National Institute of Bank Management, Pune
2018 - MyStamp - 60 Years of Doordarshan (Issued on 16 Sep 2019)
2018-19 - Mathew M. Kuzhiveli (Issued on 22 Nov 2019)
2016-17 - Four Dhamas (Char Dham) (Issued on 29 Nov 2019)
2016-17 - Fragrant Stamps (Chocolate, Strawberry) (Issued on 01 Aug & 15 Oct 2019)
2016-17 - Historical Gates of India Forts (Issued on 19 Oct 2019)

2018-19 - Jamshedpur (Issued on 17 Feb 2020)

2016-17 - Musical Instruments (Issued on 25 Jun 2020)
2016-17 - Terracotta Temples of India (Issued on 08 Aug 2020)

Dead Stamp Issues
O. P. Jindal
Devaraj Urs
Jyoti Basu
Bhupesh Gupta

Errors in UNESCO World Heritage Sites Stamps India 2020

I'm posting after a long break, but hope this will be a fresh start. During yesterday's Independence Day celebration, India Post issued a set of stamps (3rd in a series) on UNESCO world heritage sites. These stamps were intended to showcase selected cultural sites that have been inscribed on the list comprising over 1000 sites from around the world. Like previous 5-6 years of crowd-sourced stamp images, photographs were submitted by public through a competition on the MyGov platform. These competitions are typically being organized 1-2 months in advance of the actual stamp issuance, always delivering half baked designs. This particular stamp issue was no exception. 

Total of five cultural sites were selected:

1. Churches and convents of Goa - Church of Bom Jesus
2. Historic city of Ahmadabad - Sarkhej Roza
3. Group of monuments at Pattadakal
4. Khajuraho group of monuments - Javari Temple
5. Qutb Minar and its monuments, Delhi

Several elements are inconsistent and incorrect with these poorly designed stamps, and I request that India Post recall this stamp issue. Firstly, there are some gross errors in the stamp images. The stamp on Churches and convents of Goa shows an image of Se Cathedral, but describes it as Church of Bom Jesus. Information and images found on the internet clearly prove this is a mistake. Also, it's Basilica of Bom Jesus, not Church of Bom Jesus. Next is the stamp on Khajuraho temples. The stamp shows and image of Vamana temple, but is described as Javari temple. The second panel below clearly shows the difference between the two temples. Again, quick searches on the internet will be enough. 

Third error is some what technical, so it may need further verification. Nomination documents for Historic city of Ahmadabad that can be found on UNESCO World heritage web site says that Sarkhej Roza is outside the nominated world heritage site property. Why was this shown on the stamp then?

Lastly, the stamps are so poorly designed. Low quality fonts were used and placements of the words are not even on all the stamps either. The stone wall shown on Khajuraho temple stamp could have been easily cropped to highlight the actual temple more. There was also no need to put Qutb Minar on a stamp again - it has already been seen on several previous postal stamps issued by India Post.

An overall disaster, this stamp issue should be immediately recalled and new images, whether crowd sourced or not, should be selected, errors rectified and printed. Not cool, India Post.

India Post 2020 - Stamp Releases and Designers

Coming Soon...

India Post 2019 - Stamp Releases & Designers

Coming soon...

India Post Stamp Release Updates (Jan-Jun 2020)

Coming soon...