143. PA Exam Materials – PO Guide part I -9
Smt P.Kiruthika Paramasivam
Fraudulent Use of Stamps
• Unauthorized sale or breach of terms is punishable by law.
• Reusing postage stamps fraudulently or to cause loss to the Government is illegal and punishable by law.
• If such a stamp is detected on an already posted item, the item will not be delivered and will be dealt with as specified by administrative instructions.
• If a previously used stamp (without obliteration marks removed) or a service stamp on a private item is detected, the stamp is ignored.
• The item will be charged with due postage and forwarded to its destination with a remark explaining the charge; a note is made in the error book (for post offices) or notebook (for mail offices).
• If presented at a window, the item is returned with a remark that previously used or service stamps on private items are not recognized for payment.
• Postage stamps (adhesive, embossed, impressed, or printed) that are defaced, obliterated, marked, separated from envelopes/postcards/wrappers, torn, cut, or otherwise imperfect will not be recognized for postage or postal fees.
• Such stamps found on an item will not be defaced, but a remark explaining why they were ignored will be written on the item.
• However, postage stamps perforated with initials or identifying marks are permitted for payment.
• Postage stamps must be affixed by the sender or their messenger, and never by Department officials.
Illegal Manufacture or Usage of Postage Stamps
• Forged, counterfeit, or fictitious postage stamps are punishable under applicable law.
• The manufacture and use of fictitious postage stamps for any purpose is prohibited and is an offense punishable under Section 186 of Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita, 2023.
• Reproduction of stamps is allowed only for illustration in philatelic publications or sections related solely to postage stamps in general publications.
• Such reproductions should only be in black.
• Prior permission from the Secretary, Department of Posts, must be obtained for color reproductions for publicity.
• To avoid similarity with actual stamps, reproductions must be distinctly smaller or larger than the actual stamp and without perforation on the edges.
• A crossbar must also be placed on one corner of the stamp, obliterating the denomination.
• Reproduction of stamps in color, at actual size, with perforation on the edges, may be considered production of actual stamps and is a punishable offense under Section 186 of Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita, 2023.
• Issuing a postage stamp is the sovereign privilege of the Department of Posts.
• Requests for stamp images for non-commercial purposes (e.g., autobiographies, textbooks, philately promotion) are decided on a case-by-case basis by the Department of Posts.
• Requests involving substantial financial or direct benefit to an individual/organization are also decided case-by-case.
• When using stamp images, publishers/authors must include a disclaimer stating that the views expressed are their own and not of the Department of Posts, Government of India, and that the Department has no legal responsibility in case of controversy.
• An undertaking that no anti-national/anti-social/anti-religious/seditious material is used in the publication must be submitted when requesting permission.
• The Department of Posts should be properly acknowledged for granting permission.
• The size of the reproduced stamp will be larger or smaller than the existing stamp, according to rules.
• The publisher/individual/organization must provide samples of the product using stamp images for the Department's record.
• A brief write-up on India Post or the stamp used should accompany the images.
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