New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil a new Naval Ensign (Nishaan) in Kochi during the commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, Vikrant on Friday, September 2. With this the Indian Navy will get a new Naval Ensign (Nishaan) which will be the fourth change in Naval Ensign since 1950.
The current ensign of the Navy is a white flag with horizontal and vertical red stripes, symbolising the Cross of Saint George, with the emblem of India superimposed on the intersection. The tricolour is placed in the upper canton next to the staff.
“The new ensign would do “away with the colonial past… befitting the rich Indian maritime heritage,” Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
The details about the new design are not known yet. According to sources in the defence and security establishment the cross will go, certain colour changes will be there and the naval crest depicting an anchor would be added. In addition, a commonality would be maintained with the Flags of Indian Army and Indian Air Force.
India after becoming a republic on January 26, 1950, ‘Indianised’ the Naval Crest and flags. Though the Union flag was replaced by the tricolour in Ensign and Distinguishing Flags, a touch of the British legacy – the Red St. George’s Cross was retained till 2001.
The design of the ensign was changed by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government with effect from 15 August 2001, and the Cross made its way out of the Indian Navy crest. The idea to change the Navy’s ensign came from Vice Admiral Vivian Barboza in the early 1970s. Admiral Barboza retired from the Indian Navy as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.
In April 2004, the original ensign was adopted again as there were complaints within the force that the blue of the naval crest was indistinguishable from the sky and the ocean. The present ensign was changed back to St George’s Cross with the addition of the Indian emblem in its intersection.
Later in 2014, the ensign as well as the naval crest were updated to include the national motto “Satyameva Jayate” in the Devanagari script which were adopted by the Indian Navy on August 15, 2014.
