• The third edition of ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign is held from August 9 to 15 to mark the 78th Independence Day, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said.

• People are encouraged to display the national flag at their homes and other establishments during the run up to the Independence Day on August 15 as part of the campaign.

• In 2022, the national flag was hoisted at more than 23 crore homes and six crore people uploaded their selfies, the minister said.

• In 2023, over 10 crore selfies were uploaded under the campaign.

The National Flag

• The National Flag is a tricolour panel made up of three rectangular panels or sub-panels of equal width. 

• The colour of the top panel is saffron (kesari) and that of the bottom panel is green.

• The middle panel is white, bearing at its centre the design of Ashoka Chakra in navy blue colour with 24 equally spaced spokes. 

• The Ashoka Chakra shall be completely visible on both sides of the flag in the centre of the white panel.

• The ratio of the length to the height (width) of the flag shall be 3:2.

• Freedom fighter Pingali Venkaiah was the designer of the Indian National Flag.

• The design of the National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on July 22, 1947.

• Apart from non-statutory instructions issued by the government from time to time, display of the National Flag is governed by the provisions of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. 

Constitutional & statutory provisions regarding National Flag of India:

• Article 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.

The Flag Code of India

• The Flag Code of India brings together all laws, conventions, practices, and instructions for the display of the National Flag.

• The Flag Code of India, 2002 was amended in December 2021, and tricolour made of polyester or machine-made flags have been allowed.

Flag Code of India, 2002, has been divided into three parts. 

• First Part: General Description of the National Flag.

• Second Part: Display of the National Flag by members of public, private organisations and educational institutions, etc.

• Third Part: Display of National Flag by Union or state governments and their organisations and agencies.

• Section 3.22 of Code deals with laws, practices and conventions that apply to the display of the National Flag.

• Section 3.58 says: On occasions of state/military/central paramilitary forces funerals, the flag shall be draped over the bier or coffin with the saffron towards the head of the bier or coffin. The Flag shall not be lowered into the grave or burnt in the pyre.

Prevention of insults to National Honour Act

• The law, enacted on December 23, 1971, penalises the desecration of or insult to Indian national symbols, such as the National Flag, the Constitution, the National Anthem, and the Indian map, as well as contempt of the Constitution of India.

• Section 2 of the Act deals with insults to Indian National Flag and Constitution of India.

• It states that: Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)