After 4-year break, Karnataka postal circle reboots its annual philatelic exhibition
Bengaluru, Dec 4: As part of its ongoing effort to redefine connecting people' in the online era, the Karnataka Postal Circle will be reviving its annual state-level philatelic exhibition, which was last held in 2019 in Mangaluru.
"Ultimately, we want people to rediscover the joy of sending letters and postcards. We believe that this can be achieved by giving them a glimpse of the rich postal heritage of India," Director of Postal Services (HQ) Kaiya Arora told PTI.
The 13th edition, Karnapex 2024, which will be held in Bengaluru between January 5 and January 8, will piece together Karnataka's socio-cultural history through stamps, special covers, special cancellations and pictorial collections, she added.
A cancellation is a postal marking affixed on a stamps or envelopes of India Post to deface the stamp and prevent its re-use. Cancellations come in a variety of designs, shapes, sizes and colors.
"Stamps that are issued to mark historical milestones are nuggets of information and are perfect learning tools," Arora pointed out.
For instance, she said that to commemorate Karnapex 2024, special covers about things and events unique to Karnataka like ali guli manne' and kambala' will be released, thus documenting them for posterity.
The philatelic exhibition, which will showcase 690 rare and unique collections of stamps in total, including those loaned from serious philatelists, will explore different themes every day, she added.
"On January 5, we begin with stamps that document the history and culture of Karnataka. On January 6, it will be science, technology and environment. On January 7, stamps exploring the themes of mental health and sports will be displayed. And on the final day, women empowerment will be the key word," said Arora.
But Karnapex 2024 is much more than stamps, she said.
"We are going all out to draw people out of their homes. So, we have workshops on origami making, letter writing and drawing cartoons. We have a drawing and painting competition as well as a stamp designing competition. We have many interactive events planned too ranging from something traditional like a treasure hunt to innovative ones like digital charkha," said Arora.
The director said part of the reason why the postal department decided to up the outreach game is because the Unboxing Bengaluru' event, which was held during the first half of December, put a spotlight on the quaint postal history of the city.
"Many, for instance, discovered the oldest functional post box in the city, one of the 100 post boxes that Britain shipped to India to establish the postal service in India. This is at Taj West End. And this created a lot of buzz for us, thanks to social media influencers," said Arora.
The exhibition venue will also have stalls for sale of stamps, special covers, coins and other philately related items.
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New trains to ease crowding on Namma Metro Purple-Green lines in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Commuters on the crowded Namma Metro Purple and Green lines may soon get relief, as the Railway Board has issued provisional sanction for induction of new train sets, Deccan Herald reported.
The Railway Board communicated the provisional sanction to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in a letter on April 1, raising hopes that additional trains could be deployed during peak hours by May-June.
According to the Railway Board, the approval comes with conditions, including a maximum speed of 80 kmph in fully inflated mode and 25 kmph in deflated mode of the secondary air spring.
The BMRCL will also need a separate sanction from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) by submitting the Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) report confirming the trains’ integration, operation, and compatibility with the Direct To Go (DTG) signalling and train control system for the Purple and Green lines.
The BMRCL has received three DTG trains, including a prototype delivered in January 2025, for the Purple and Green lines. The trains must pass 37 statutory clearances before entering passenger service.
The BMRCL had approached the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), under the Ministry of Railways, to conduct statutory trials related to oscillation, braking, speed and system integration tests for the trains. The CMRS will issue the final sanction after receiving the ISA certificate.
Officials said the ISA certification process is already underway, with new signalling software currently being tested. Final approvals are expected by May-June, after which the trains can be introduced into service.
The new trains have been supplied by China's CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, which will deliver a total of 21 trains for the Purple and Green lines in partnership with the West Bengal-based Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd (TRSL). Currently, the network operates with 57 trains supplied by BEML.
