Flag Code of India

Context: The Government of India has announced that the national flag can now remain hoisted through the night, if it is in the open and hoisted by a member of the public.

Recent Changes 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.

What is the Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign?

‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ is a campaign under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark the 75th year of India’s independence.
Our relationship with the flag has always been more formal and institutional than personal.
- Bringing the flag home collectively as a nation in the 75th year of independence thus becomes symbolic of not only an act of personal connection to the Tiranga but also an embodiment of our commitment to nation-building.
The idea behind the initiative is to invoke the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of the people and to promote awareness about the Indian National Flag.

History of Indian National Flag?

The Indian flag was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on July 22, 1947.
The first national flag, which consisted of three horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green, is said to have been hoisted on August 7, 1906, at the Parsee Bagan Square, near Lower Circular Road, in Calcutta.
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.
After undergoing several changes, the Tricolour was adopted as our national flag at a Congress Committee meeting in Karachi in 1931.

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.

Constitutional & Statutory Provisions regarding National Flag of India:

Art 51A(a) – To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.
Statutes Governing Use of Flag:
- Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950.
- Prevention of Insults to National Honor Act, 1971.

Rules governing the display of the Tricolour:

The Flag Code of 2002 is divided into three parts:

a general description of the tricolour

rules for display of the flag by governments and government bodies.

rules on display of the flag by public and private bodies and educational institutions.

Issues

For a flag to be hoisted at a height, its material needs to be tough and wind-resistant.
- In the past, one of the country’s tallest tricolours, near the India-Pakistan border at Attari, was not hoisted for several months due to damage caused to the flag by high velocity wind.
The knitted polyester outdoor flags are easily available on e-commerce websites while the government has cautioned against use of plastic national flags.

Significance of the Code

The move provides relief for damages caused to mammoth flags which are not lowered at the sunset and are adequately illuminated during the night.
In 2009, the MHA granted permission for the national flag to fly day and night on public and private institutions and buildings.
A member of the public, a private organization or an educational institution may hoist or display the National Flag on all days and occasions, ceremonial or otherwise consistent with the dignity and honour of the National Flag.
To inspire respect for the flag, the code suggests that the “National Flag may be hoisted in educational institutions – schools, colleges, sports camps, scout camps.

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