24 June 2015

First Indian Antarctic Expedition 9.1.1983


The stamp designed by the India Security Press is based on the photograph (Courtesy : Department of Ocean Development) showing the Indian Scientists in their camp in Antarctica. The first day cover design comprises a collage of photographs showing different activities of the Expedition along with the map of the Antarctica. Cancellation has been designed by Charanjit Lal. This special stamp was issued to commemorate the landing of the first Indian Scientific team on Antarctica.

The Indian Antarctic Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program under the control of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. It was initiated in 1981 with the first Indian expedition to Antarctica. The program gained global acceptance with India's signing of the Antarctic Treaty and subsequent construction of the Dakshin Gangotri Antarctic research base in 1983, superseded by the Maitri base from 1990. Under the program, atmospheric, biological, earth, chemical, and medical sciences are studied by India, which has carried out 30 scientific expeditions to the Antarctic as of 14 October 2010 and is currently planning to build an additional research station in the region named Bharati and thus India was all set to join the elite group of nine countries which have multiple bases in Antarctica.

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