New initiative:The ubiquitous post card now gets a new role
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India Post, or the Department of Posts, which was in the limelight in Kerala for the wrong reasons — a move to close down post offices — recently, is back in the news. This time, the reason is a bold and adventurous initiative of the department, in association with the Reserve Bank of India. When the department decided to make available the writing space on the address side of the post card for advertisements, the RBI, Thiruvananthapuram, saw in it a wonderful opportunity to take the message of financial literacy to the common man. The RBI had conducted a painting competition for schoolchildren in Kerala and Lakshadweep on the topic of banking and finance as part of its financial-literacy initiatives during its platinum jubilee celebrations in 2010. The prize-winning entry has found a place on the post card. The painting depicts the bank as a tree, the roots of which take nourishment from the soil of currency notes to produce the fruits of houses, factories, consumer goods, medical services, and so on. There are a few lines in Malayalam, which on translation go thus, “Come to the nearest bank, borrow or deposit as per your need, and make your life safe and comfortable,” under the tree. The cards in this category are known as “Meghdoot” post cards and costs only half that of the regular post cards. The stamp depicts the picture of Homi J. Bhabha, the father of Indian space science. The cards are available in select post offices. It is thanks to a function organised by the RBI that many came to know of the existence of such a post card, probably because the Postal Department did not show the drive and initiative it showed in transforming one of its products in publicising it as well. The function involved the formal release of the card by Shyamala Gopinath, Deputy Governor, RBI, during her visit to bank's office here on Wednesday. Suma Verma, Regional Director, RBI, and Banking Ombudsman F.R. Joseph were present.
The Hindu
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