A commemorative postage stamp on the 25^th Anniversary of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) :

Issued by India

Issued on Nov 4, 1971

Issued for : India is one of the Founder–Members of the UNESCO and is actively participating in the world-wide celebrations of the 25^th Anniversary of the founding of the UNESCO. The Indian P&T Department are privileged to be associated with these celebrations on the occasion of the 25^th Anniversary of UNESCO. The commemorative stamp being brought out on the occasion, in India depicts a painting in the Ajanta Caves, where a UNESCO project for preservation of these paintings is in progress.

Description of Design : The design of the stamp is vertical and depicts a painting in the Ajanta Caves. The symbol of UNESCO is also shown at the bottom right hand corner.

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Red Brown

Denomination : 20 Paise

Overall Size : 3.91 X 2.90 cms.

Printing Size : 3.56 X 2.54 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Watermark : Printed on unwatermarked adhesive stamp paper

Number Printed : 30,00,000

Number per issue sheet : 35

Printing Process : Photogravure

Designed and Printed at : India Security Press

About : 

• Created in 1946, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is one of the specialised agencies of the United Nations family composed of 125 Member-States. The purpose of the Organisation as defined in its constitution is : “to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights arid fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.“
  
• The constitution further says : “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.“
  
• The range of activities falling within the ambit of UNESCO is wide; in fact, this Organisation has been called “the least specialised of the Specialised Agencies.“ However, the three main functions of UNESCO are: (i) international intellectual co-operation; (ii) assistance to Member-States; and (iii) promotion of peace and human rights and mutual understanding among peoples. International Intellectual Co–operation in the fields of education, science, culture and communications is the basis of all UNESCO’s work. The activities include co-ordination of international scientific efforts, standardisation of documentation procedures, clearing house services, etc. A great number of new nations which have achieved independence since UNESCO was created, have acted as a spur to redoubled efforts in operational assistance to the needy States. Such aid to Member-States at their request now occupies the major part of UNESCO’s staff and financial resources. While all UNESCO’s activities contribute, directly or indirectly, to the promotion of peace and human rights and mutual understanding, certain specific programmes in this field including scientific research on problems of race, discrimination and prejudice, encouragement of teaching about the U.N. and education for international understanding, etc. are carried out by the Organisation.
  
• The Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1948 was drafted with the co-operation of UNESCO. In India, UNESCO has collaborated in a number of ventures falling within the ambit of its activities. In a project financed by UNDP, UNESCO has been providing the services of foreign professors for the regional engineering colleges in India. UNESCO/UNDP have also been closely associated in the execution of a number of scientific projects in the various institutions under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, India. UNESCO has also provided assistance for strengthening of teaching and have also assisted in the research programmes undertaken at the centres of advanced studies at the Universities of Delhi, Punjab, Bombay and Madras and at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Earlier, the Universities of Osmania, Calcutta and Jadavpur had received assistance under this programme. The international campaign undertaken by the UNESCO to save the monuments of Nubia at Abu Simbel is well known. UNESCO is also associated with another international campaign for saving the glories of Florence and Venice for humanity. In India, UNESCO is actively associated with a project for the preservation of paintings in the Ajanta and Ellora Caves. UNESCO is also associated with the study of the possibilities of rehabilitating the temples at Srirangam.

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