Philately is the collection and study of Postage stamps. It also entails the collection, appreciation and research activities 011 stamps and other related philatelic products. The hobby, of collecting Stamps includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloguing, displaying, storing, and maintaining the stamps or related products on thematic areas. Stamp collection as a hobby has lot of educational benefits as it teaches a lot about-:the socio economic political reality of the period in which the stamp is issued or the them/on which it is issued. Maintaining a collection can be a relaxing activity that counteracts the stress of life, while providing a purposeful pursuit which prevents boredom. The hobby leads to social connect between people with similar interests and the development of new friendships. Collecting also hones the memory skills by working on the need of the human brain to catalogue and organize information and give meaning to ones actions.
Reinforcing the efforts aimed towards increasing the reach of Philately, the Department of Posts is launching a Scholarship Scheme called Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana to award children in the class category of Standard VI to IX. Under the Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude & Research in Stamps as a Hobby or Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana it is proposed to award annual scholarships to those students who have good academic record and also pursue Philately as a hobby. The objective of the scholarship is to "Promote Philately among children at a young age in a sustainable manner that can reinforce and supplement the academic curriculum in addition to providing a hobby that can help them relax and de-stress".