The United Nations Children's Fund created by the United Nations General Assembly to help the children of war-torn Europe started functioning in India from 1949. Over the past 25 years UNICEF has helped to reinforce the nation's health infrastructure, providing supplies and equipment for three-fourths of India's 5,200 primary health centres and for over a third of its 30,000 sub-centres; expanding the teaching and practice of social paediatries and obstetrics and of preventive and social medicine; training nurse, basic health workers, auxiliary-nurse-midwives and dais; establishing and supporting transport and equipment maintenance facilities.

Vital supplies of drugs, vaccines, seeds, garden tools, pump sets, vehicles, well drilling rigs etc. have been kept up by this organisation which has been responsible for supplying 13 major dairy plants with modern equipments.

The science education programme, launched a few years ago with UNICEF and UNESCO assistance, is helping to prepare India's children to deal more effectively with the scientific and technological advances in the rapidly changing world about them.

During 1973, UNICEF provided 25 hard-rock drilling rigs to India on an emergency basis at a cost of about Rs. 110 lakhs. UNICEF, because of its world-wide supply, purchasing, storage and delivery network, is able to respond quickly to such immediate needs. However, UNICEF prefers to concentrate on long-term basic services.

There are more than 30,000 locations in India where UNICEF assistance is being used for the benefit of children and mothers. During the quarter century of its service in India, over 70 crores of rupees have been spent by this organisation and it expects to spend about 40 crores more during the 5th Five Year Plan alone.

India is a member of UNICEF's 30 nation Executive Board and has contributed to UNICEF's resources since 1949, its contributions totalling over Rs. 12 crores.

In addition, people in India buy about ten lakhs UNICEF greetings cards each year, placing India first in sales in Asia, 13th worldwide. These funds are used to purchase equipment in India, provide stipends for training programmes and towards administrative costs.

The P & T Department consider it their privilege to highlight the services rendered by the UNICEF in India by the issue of a commemorative postage stamp on the occasion of their 25 years of association with India.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India