Amendment to Flag Code

The Union Government recently amended the National Flag Code, allowing polyester and imported cloth to be used for the National flag.
Khadi activists contend that the move will only dilute the definition of khadi but also undermine the spirit of the freedom struggle.

Key Points

• As per rule 1. 2 of part 1 of the Flag code of India 2002, only khadi or hand-spun cloth was the material for the flag.
• The use of other material was punishable.
• But the recent amendment has changed it to “The National Flag shall be made of hand spun and hand woven or machine made, cotton, polyester, wool, silk khadi bunting.”
• That means machine-made polyester that is made in India or imported from elsewhere can now be used for the tricolor.
• Note: So far, the hand-spun, hand-woven khadi flag was made in the country’s sole BIS-approved flag manufacturing unit in Hubballi, Karnataka.

About the National Flag

• The present flag is based on the Swaraj flag, a flag of the Indian National Congress designed by Pingali Venkayya.
• After undergoing several changes, the Tricolour was adopted as our national flag at a Congress Committee meeting in Karachi in 1931.
• The National Flag shall be rectangular in shape. The ratio of the length to the height (width) of the Flag shall be 3:2.
• The Flag shall not be flown at half-mast except on occasions on which the Flag is flown at half-mast on public buildings in accordance with the instructions issued by the Government.
• The Flag shall not be used as a drapery in any form whatsoever, including private funerals except in State funerals or armed forces or other paramilitary forces funerals”.
• The Flag shall not be used as a portion of costume or uniform of any description.