India-Serbia : Joint Issue

September 15, 2018

India-Serbia : Joint Issue

Complete set of 2 nos. of commemorative postage stamps on India–Serbia : Joint Issue : 70 years of Diplomatic Relations between India and Serbia : Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla :

Issued by India

Issued on Sep 15, 2018

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to release a set of two Commemorative Postage Stamps between India and Serbia on the theme “70 years of Diplomatic Relations between India and Serbia” featuring ‘Swami Vivekananda’ of India and ‘Nikola Tesla’ of Serbia.

Credits :
Stamps/Miniature Sheet/FDC/Brochure : Ms. Gulistaan
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 2500, 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 500000 each

Miniature Sheet Printed : 1.1 lakh

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Narendranath Datta

Born on 12 Jan, 1863 at Kolkata, India

Died on 4 Jul, 1902 at Belur, Howrah district, West Bengal, India

Name : Nikola Tesla

Born on 27 Oct, 1917 at Smiljan, Austrian Empire [now Croatia]

Died on 7 Jan, 1943 at New York City, United States

About :

The year 2018 marks 70 years of the diplomatic relations between India and Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia) which were established on 5 September, 1948. Both the countries have traditionally enjoyed deep friendship as co-founders of the Non-Aligned Movement. Despite the breakup of former Yugoslavia, the tradition of mutual support on issues of core interest continues. The relationship has been energized with high level visits in the recent past.
The regular high level visits between the two countries have provided the desired impetus for a multi-sectoral partnership. Both sides agree on the need to promote economic cooperation, especially in the fields of food production, agriculture, defence, pharmaceuticals, health and tourism. MoU on Cooperation in the field of IT & Electronics and comprehensive bilateral Agreement on Cooperation in the fields of culture, arts, youth, sports and mass media have been signed between the two countries. Existing agreements include Bilateral Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement (BIPPA), Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC), Trade Agreement (MFN) and Tourism Cooperation Agreement. Air Services Agreement has been revised. MoU on Archival Cooperation was signed in October 2017.
As per Serbian state statistics, bilateral trade of US$ 198.5 million in 2017 registered an increase of 39% as compared to 2016 with Indian exports worth US$ 187.6 million and imports US$ 10.9 million. The main items of exports from India were pharmaceuticals & chemical products, products of iron & steel, coffee/sesame seeds and food products, textile yarn, garments & footwear, industrial machinery. Main items of export from Serbia were raw silver, PC storage units, industrial machinery, chemicals and tobacco.
Around 150 Serbian professionals have undergone training in India including in IT, telecommunications, WTO, English language, SMEs, management, finance, textiles, rural development, environment, Yoga, etc.
Serbia is a culturally vibrant country with high regard for Indian culture and heritage. Indian cultural groups continue to be popular in Serbia. Yoga and Ayurveda are recognized in Serbian law. The national broadcaster Radio & Television of Serbia (RTS) regularly telecasts Indian documentaries. The first India-Serbia joint production ‘Dev Bhoomi’ by renowned Serbian Director Goran Paskaljevic was shot in Uttarakhand with Indian starcast.
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
- Swami Vivekananda, original name Narendranath Datta, was born on 12 January, 1863 was a Hindu spiritual leader and reformer. Born into an aristocratic Bengali family of Calcutta, Vivekananda was inclined towards spirituality. He was influenced by his guru, Ramakrishna, from whom he learnt that all living beings were an embodiment of the divine self; therefore, service to God could be rendered by service to mankind. After Ramakrishna’s death, Vivekananda toured the Indian subcontinent extensively and acquired first-hand knowledge of the conditions prevailing in British India.
- Swami Vivekananda leapt into fame at the World Parliament of Religions held at Chicago in 1893, at which he represented Hinduism. His vast knowledge of Eastern and Western cultures as well as his deep spiritual insight, fervid eloquence, brilliant conversation and compassion for human kind made an irresistible appeal to the people who came in contact with him. The year 2018 marks the 125^th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s address at the World Parliament of Religions at Chicago.
- The Swami’s mission was both national and international. A lover of mankind, he strove to promote peace and brotherhood on the spiritual foundation of the Vedantic Oneness of existence. A mystic on the highest order, Vivekananda had a direct and intuitive experience of Reality.
- He delivered innumerable lectures, wrote inspired letters in his own hand to his many friends and disciples, composed numerous poems, and acted as spiritual guide to the many seekers, who came to him for instruction. He also organized the Ramakrishna Order of monks, which is the most outstanding religious organization of modern India. Swami Vivekananda passed away on 4 July, 1902 near Calcutta.
NIKOLA TESLA
- Nikola Tesla (Smiljan, 1856 – New York, 1943), was one of the greatest Serbian scientists in the area of electrical engineering, telecommunications, robotics and physics. He is the author of more than 700 patents and some of his most important inventions are polyphase system, rotating magnetic field, asynchronous motor, synchronous generator and high voltage AC transformer. Tesla also invented a special way for generating high frequency current and gave a significant contribution to the transfer and modulation of radio-signals, as well as in the area of X-rays.
- Nikola Tesla is the only Serb who gave his name to an international measurement unit. General Conference on Weights and Measures in Paris in 1960 decided that the symbol T and the name “tesla” should be used as a measurement unit for magnetic flux density.
- Tesla and Vivekananda met in New York during Vivekananda’s series of lectures on Vedic philosophy. According to the testimony of the contemporaries, they met through the famous French actress Sarah Bernhardt. In several letters during 1895, Vivekananda mentioned that he recognised Vedic cosmogony in Tesla’s scientific work.
- The stamp with the image of Nikola Tesla symbolically represents the connection of his inventions and the Divine source of all scientific ideas.
Text : Based on the information received from Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Serbia Post and internet sources.