Flag Code of India

Why in news?

• The Union government has allowed manufacture and import of machine-made polyester national flags by amending the 2002 Flag Code of India.

History of Adopting India’s Flag:

• 1906:
  • The first national flag, which consisted of three horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green, is said to have been hoisted on 7th August, 1906, at the Parsee Bagan Square, in Calcutta (now Kolkata).
• 1921:
  • Later, in 1921, freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya met Mahatma Gandhi and proposed a basic design of the flag, consisting of two red and green bands.
• 1931:
  • After undergoing several changes, the Tricolour was adopted as our national flag at a Congress Committee meeting in Karachi in 1931.
• 1947:
  • The Indian flag was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22nd July, 1947.

Rules governing the display of the Tricolour

• The earliest rules for the display of the national flag were originally governed by the provisions of :

• • The Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950:
    • It restricts the use of the national flag, the coat-of-arms used by a government department, the official seal of the President or Governor, the pictorial representation of Mahatma Gandhi and the Prime Minister, and the Ashoka Chakra.
  • The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971:
    • It prohibits the desecration of or insults to the country’s national symbols, including the national flag, the Constitution, the national anthem and the Indian map.

About Flag Code of 2002:

• In 2002, the Flag Code of India came into effect which allowed the unrestricted display of the Tricolour as long as the honour and dignity of the flag were being respected.
• The flag code did not replace the pre-existing rules governing the correct display of the flag; it was, however, an effort to bring together all the previous laws, conventions and practices.
• The Flag Code of 2002 is divided into three parts:
  • A general description of the tricolour.
  • Rules on display of the flag by public and private bodies and educational institutions.
  • Rules for display of the flag by governments and government bodies.

Key provisions:

• The flag should be rectangular in shape. The length to width ratio should be 3:2.
• Citizens must select an appropriate size for display from the various standard sizes prescribed by the Flag Code.
• The flag must not be used for commercial purposes.
• The flag should not be doubled as a part of costume or uniform. It should not be embedded on any dress material.
• The flag should not be lowered to salute any person.
• Any kind of lettering should not be put on the flag.
• It should not be deliberately displayed with ‘saffron’ down.
• It should be flown on important public buildings only such as High Courts, Commissioners’ Offices, Secretariats, Collectorates, Municipalities and Zilla Parishads, Jails and offices of the District Boards, and Departmental/Public Sector Undertakings.
• The use of plastic flags is not allowed because plastic flags are not biodegradable and do not get decomposed for a long time. Paper flags can be used by the public and such flags should not be discarded on the ground after the event. They should be disposed of, in private, consistent with the flag’s dignity.
• The privilege of flying the flag on motor vehicles is limited to the important offices such as President, Vice-President, Governors and Lieutenant Governors, Union and State Ministers, Judges of higher courts etc.

Recent amendments made:

• The rules earlier permitted only flags made by "hand-spun and woven wool or cotton or silk khadi bunting" while the import of machine-made flags was banned in 2019.
• A recent revision to the flag code stated, "The National Flag shall be made of hand spun and hand woven or machine made, cotton, polyester, wool, silk khadi bunting."

PRACTICE QUESTION

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Flag Code of 2002?

1. Manufacture and import of machine-made polyester national flags are banned in India

2. The flag should be rectangular in shape

3. The flag must not be used for commercial purposes

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 1,2 and 3

Answer