Haryana opens 2026 SPARSH philately scholarship applications for 40 students

The Department of Posts’ Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana has opened a 2026 scholarship opportunity for school students in Haryana, with 40 students set to receive annual scholarships of ₹6,000 each. The application details were announced on 2 September 2026, and eligible students have until 10 September to submit their applications to the relevant divisional postal office.

The programme is open to regular students in Classes VI to IX studying at recognised schools. Applicants must have an active connection with philately: they should either be members of a School Philately Club or, where no school club exists, maintain an individual Philately Deposit Account. Academic performance is also part of the eligibility criteria, with a minimum of 60 per cent marks or an equivalent grade in the previous annual examination. The threshold is relaxed by five percentage points for students from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories.

Selection is planned in two stages. Eligible applicants will first sit a written philately quiz. Students shortlisted through that stage will then prepare and submit a philately project, which will be used for the final selection. The structure is designed to test more than basic stamp recognition: it encourages participants to connect collecting with research, presentation and wider historical or cultural knowledge.

SPARSH — the Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude and Research in Stamps as a Hobby — is one of India Post’s most important programmes for developing new collectors at school level. For the philatelic community, the Haryana intake is significant because it creates a direct route from school participation into organised collecting through clubs, Philately Deposit Accounts, quizzes and project work. It also gives local societies and collectors an opportunity to support young entrants with mentoring and educational material.

Applications may be submitted by post or in person to the concerned Divisional Head by 10 September 2026. The announcement was attributed to Vijay Kumar, Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Ambala Division. A dedicated primary India Post notice for this Haryana round was not located during the verification window, so applicants should confirm local forms, submission addresses and quiz dates with their divisional postal office.