India Post Releases Commemorative Postage Stamp on the Corps of Signals

            India Post released today a commemorative postage stamp on the Corps of Signals. On 15 February 2011, the Crops of signals will complete 100 years of its service to the Armed Forces.

Communications have played a vital role in warfare and constitute the nervous system of Armies all over the world. From smoke signals, human runners and pigeons, to telegraphy and onto wireless communications, the transformation to the information age of today has been dramatic & revolutionary. The Corps of Signals of the Indian Army with its dedicated band of officers and men, over the years, has assimilated the emerging technologies to build a well oiled networking force to match the best in the world.

Lt Col SH Powell, Royal Engineers was the founder and first head of the Indian Signal Service which was subsequently re-designated as the Indian Signal Corps. The motto of the Corps is “Teevra Chaukas” i.e. “”Swift and Secure,” and its emblem depicts the figure of the Roman Deity “Mercury” or “Hermes”, the messenger of Gods in Greek mythology, which incidentally has the unique distinction of being the common emblem of most armies of the Commonwealth group of nations.

The Corps of signals, whose men are proudly referred to as ‘Information Warriors’, has initiated and completed a number of prestigious communication projects like Army Static Switched Communication Network (ASCON) in 1995 and Army Wide Area Network (AWAN) in 2006.

The signallers are also serving the Nation by meeting the difficult communication needs for “Out of Area Contingencies”, Disaster and Flood Relief operations etc as aid to civil authorities and in UN Peace Keeping Missions abroad.

In the field of sports the Crops has an excellent record. It has produced many world class/ Olympian sportsmen who have represented the country at various National and International meets in hockey, boxing, athletics.

Yesterday India Post issued a commemorative postage stamp on ‘Mary Ward-Loreto Institutions’ to mark 400 years (1609-2009) of the founding experience of Mary Ward.

PIB Press Release , February 3, 2011