Last modified: 2023-11-11 by ian macdonald
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image by Zachary Harden, 4 October 2022
image by Željko Heimer and Jonathan Dixon, 6 August 2014
The Indian Naval Ensign will change on 15 August 2014 (Independence Day), to
include the inscription सत्यमेव जयते (सत्यमेव जयते, Satyameve Jayate,
meaning 'Truth Alone Prevails') in Devangari script as part of the State
Emblem, to follow the legal definition of the emblem.
In 2004 India
adopted a new Naval Ensign, which was the 1950-2001
British-inspired ensign with the Lion Capital of Ashoka as the State Emblem
added to the centre of the red cross. [Note that the flag is defined in terms of
intersecting vertical and horizontal stripes, with no reference to a cross.]
Use of the emblem is now governed by the State Emblem of India (Prohibition
of Improper Use) Act, 2005, in which the description of the emblem states 'The
motto "Satyameva Jayate" – Truth alone triumphs – written in Devanagari script
below the profile of the Lion Capital is part of the State Emblem of India.'
However, the lion capital emblem has been fairly widely used without the
inscription.
This issue was covered in a court case brought by Kamal Dey
concerning unauthorised and other improper use of the emblem, during which it
was pointed out that furniture and regalia used in the Kolkata High Court itself
bore the incomplete emblem. A court order dated 14 July 2011 directed that
'improper use without the word “Satyameva Jayate”' be stopped.
Earlier in
2014, the Home Ministry directed that government departments correct this misuse
of the emblem, and in July President Pranab Mukherjee approved the inclusion of
the inscription on the Naval Ensign and the Navy Crest (which appeared on the
2001-2004 naval ensign).
Sources:
NAVAL ENSIGN, DISTINGUISHING FLAGS
AND PENDANTS, DESIGN AND PROPORTIONS
http://www.irfc-nausena.nic.in/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=269, accessed 6-Aug-2014
State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005:
http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/pdf/STATE_EMBLEM_ACT2005.pdf
Kanchan Chakraborty 21 Nov 2009. At Kolkata High Court, kissa kursi
ka with a twist /Indian Express/:
http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/at-kolkata-high-court-kissa-kursi-ka-with-a-twist/544388/0
Order of the Hon’ble Division Bench consist of Justice Pinaki
Chandra Ghosh & Justice Soumen Sen, High Court, Calcutta dated 14.07.2011.,
found at
http://www.kolkatatrafficpolice.gov.in/Regarding_Na_tional_or_State
Emblem.doc
Gautam Datt 5 Aug 2014. Indian Navy to finally include
Satyameva Jayata below national emblem on its flag and crest. India Today:
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-navy-correct-anomaly-satyameva-jayate-pranab-mukherjee-aamir-khan/1/375586.html
Jonathan Dixon, 6 August 2014
The 1950 pattern Naval Ensign has been restored, with the small addition of a
national emblem in the centre of the cross, and that it has now been specified
in proportion of 1:2. It is also interesting that the 1950 rank flags have been
restored intact, and that the official specs are identical (with the addition of
a Chakra of course) to those of their UK equivalents.
Christopher Southworth, 25 April 2004
The date of adoption is not firmly known, since the document on-line
http://www.indiannavy.nic.in/new_ensign.pdf) announcing them is undated.
However, it is clear that the Indian Navy used FOTW images to make some of the
images in the document, and these images were not posted to the web by us until
late January 2004 (Martin Grieve posted them to FOTW-mailing list in December
2003), and allowing some time for the Indian naval officers to track them down
on FOTW and to include them in its documents, I would say that the decision
signed by the President could not be more then a month or two old!
Željko Heimer, 29 April 2004
While in Delhi, I had the opportunity to attend the Beating Retreat ceremony
on 29 January (2006) that concludes the celebrations surrounding Republic Day.
The Chief of Naval Staff's car flew the naval ensign.
Joe McMillan, 2 February 2006
The width of the red stripes composing the cross is 2/15 of the flag hoist
size. The state emblem (lions) is set in the middle of the flag with size so:
width 2/16 of the hoist and height 2/11 of the hoist. The national flag in the
canton is as per the "'Flag Code of India' (reproduced in Chapter I of Navy
Order (Spl) 03/2003)" (that we unfortunately do not have). This means that the
details of the Chakra are not known to us (not only for this particular flag!).
However, I believe that we could not be much mistaken if we say that the Chakra
is inscribed in a circle with diameter "around 2/15" of the hoist. (Actually
that may be a bit too large in comparison with the national flag that we
currently show at the FOTW, where the Chakra is 5/6 of the white stripe - this
would make it exactly 476.6 in the units on the image, but this is still an
approximation.)
The only way to retain the whole numbers in the diagram is making the hoist of
3960 units, and the figures on the sheet are still a bit clumsy.
Željko Heimer, 23 May 2004
The navy blue Indian Naval Crest is also found in the flags of flag officer's. These are generally speaking 2:3 in the ratio and made up of a white field bordered in navy blue, with the Indian Naval Crest set towards the hoist and a varying number of stars according to rank in the free end:
Admiral of the Fleet flag is the same as the national flag, flown from the
main mast.
Željko Heimer, 23 May 2004
2:3 by Željko Heimer, 23 May 2004
White flag with the red horizontal and vertical bars and the Chakra in the
middle. Ratio 2:3. The red stripes width are 1/6 of the hoist, the Chakra
diameter is 6/15 of the hoist. (Note the significant difference from the
prescribed size of Chakra and the one shown in the regulations, that is about
the half of the prescribed size - unless I have made an error in
computation...).
Željko Heimer, 23 May 2004
The Admiral's flag with a red ball added in the canton. For construction it
is equal with the rear admiral, so see below.
Željko Heimer, 23 May 2004
As the flag of Admiral with a red ball each in the upper hoist quarter and
the lower hoist quarter. The construction is equal to the admiral's flag, the
balls have diameters equal to the half the white quarter height.
Željko Heimer, 23 May 2004
White triangular swallow-tailed pennant with a red cross defaced with Chakra
and with a red ball in the canton. The ratio is 1:2. The width at fly is 3/4 of
the hoist width, and the indentation is 2/3 of the host. The vertical red stripe
is at the middle between the hoist and the peak of the indentation. The red ball
is offset slightly downwards.
Željko Heimer, 23 May 2004
White triangular pennant with the red stripes defaced with the Chakra. Ratio
1:2. Width of the red stripes 1/6 of the hoist. Chakra diameter 6/15 of the
hoist. The regulations clearly indicate that the stripes are centered as in the
rectangular flag (i.e., as if the Admiral's flag was cut into a
triangle), though it is far from the most pleasing design and I have quite a
doubt that the real flags are made according to this design.
Željko Heimer, 23 May 2004
White triangular pennant with at hoist the red cross defaced with the Chakra.
The length of the horizontal red stripe is 12 times the width at hoist. The
width of the stripes is 1/6 of the hoist and the Chakra diameter is 6/15 of the
hoist. The length of the flag differs for various prescribed flag sizes, from
1:36 for the smallest to 1:86.4 for the largest. (The prescribed sizes are
1"x1yd, 1.25"x2yd, 1.5"x3yd, 2#x4yd and 2.5-3"x6yd.)
Željko Heimer, 23 May 2004