The Union government has changed the country’s flag code to facilitate the launching of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ (raising the flag in every house) from August 13 to 15 as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, which will commemorate 75 years of independence. This decision was welcomed and criticized by some sections of society.

Here is everything you need to know about the Flag Code of India and recent amendments.

What is the flag code for India?

The Flag Code of India 2002 is a set of laws and conventions that govern the use, display and hoisting of the Indian national flag in the country. It came into force on 26 January 2002 and prior to that, activities relating to the national flag were governed by the provisions of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Misuse) Act 1950 and the prevention of insults to national honour.

What does the flag code say?

In accordance with the Indian Flag Code of 2002, a member of any public, private organization or educational institute is permitted to hoist the national flag every day and on all occasions in accordance with the dignity and honor of the flag.

The code is divided into three parts. The first part describes a general description of the Indian national flag.

The second part deals with the rules for displaying the flag by members of public, private organizations and other institutions.

The third part contains the details and rules for the display of the national flag by the central and state governments, and their organizations/agencies.

What are the latest amendments?

The Center amended some rules of the Indian Flag Code 2002 to facilitate the launch of the “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign.

According to a report by New Indian Express, the recent first amendment was made to the Flag Code of India earlier on December 30, 2021. The amendment allowed the use of polyester except cotton, wool , silk and khadi for handcrafting. , hand woven and machine made flags. Previously, the use of polyester and machine-made was not allowed.

Recently, as informed by Union Home Secretary, Ajay Bhalla, the Indian Flag Code of 2002 was amended by an order dated July 20, 2022. The amendment allows the national flag to be displayed outdoors or displayed on a member of the public’s home and it can fly day and night.

Previously, the tricolor was only allowed to fly from sunrise to sunset, regardless of weather conditions.

The move not appreciated by all

After the First Amendment to the flag code, a section of khadi weavers protested saying that the demand for khadi flags had suffered due to the new rule that allows the use of machine-made and polyester flags. Opposition leaders have also raised concerns about the import of machine-made polyester flags from China, the Business Standard reported.