The country is all set to celebrate Independence Day on August 15. Preparations for India's 72nd Independence Day celebration are in full swing across states in the country. Parades will march down the historic Red Fort in Delhi showcasing the country's strength and valour. The event will be attended by Prime Minister, President among other ministers, dignitaries and common people. Schools, colleges, government offices and other institutions will hoist the national flag and sing the national anthem. To hoist the national flag there are rules and one must ensure that they are followed. There is also a particular way in which the flag should be disposed of.

The rules to be followed while hoisting the tricolour is included in the Flag Code of India. It details the rules and regulations to be followed during hoisting of the national flag. Here are the rules of Flag Code of India:

The National Flag shall be a tri-colour panel of three rectangular panels or sub-panels of equal widths. The colour of the top panel shall be saffron, middle be white with the design of Ashoka Chakra in navy blue colour with 24 equally spaced spokes. The bottom panel shall be green. Shops are authorised to sell only the correct size.

Size of the Flag

Indian National Flag (Photo Credits: Unsplash)

  • The National Flag should be rectangular in shape with a length to width ratio of 3:2

  • The Flag Code of India lists the standard sizes of the National Flag as follows: Flag Size No. Dimensions in mm

1. 6300 x 4200

2. 3600 x 2400

3. 2700 x 1800

4. 1800 x 1200

5. 1350 x 900

6. 900 x 600

7. 450 x 300

8. 225 x 150

9. 150 x 100

  • The National Flag of India which shall be hoisted should be made of hand spun and hand woven wool/cotton/silk khadi bunting.

  • The flags of 450 x 300 mm size are intended for aircraft on VVIP flights, 225 x 150 mm size for motor-cars and 150 x 100 mm size for table flags.

Rules for display of National Flag by members of the public, private organisations, educational institutions, etc.

Indian National Flag (Photo Credits: Pixabay)

  • The Flag shall not be used for commercial purposes

  • Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950;

(ii) the Flag shall not be dipped in salute to any person or thing;

(iii) 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 should not have lettering of any kind

  • The flag should not be used as a receptacle for receiving, delivering, holding or carrying anything

  • The flag should not be intentionally displayed upside (saffron) down

  • The flag should not be used to cover a speaker's desk and it should not be draped over a speaker's platform

  • A damaged or dishevelled flag should not be hoisted or used

How to Dispose of The National Flag

Indian National Flag (Photo Credits: Getty Images)

There are two ways in which the national flag can be disposed of according to the Flag Code of India, 2002- burning or burying.

  • Burying

Collect all the damaged flags and fold place it properly in a wooden box. Bury the box in the earth and observe a moment of silence once the flags are buried.

  • Burning

Choose a safe place and clean it. Clean the flags that are to be buried. Build a fire and carefully place the flags in the centre of it. Ensure you fold the flag before burning because otherwise, it is an offence. The national flag is a symbol of pride and its dignity should be maintained while disposing of it.

Ahead of the Independence Day, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an Advisory to ensure strict compliance of the provisions contained in the 'Flag Code of India, 2002' and 'The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971'. As flags made of plastic is not easily bio-degradable, only flags made of paper should be used by the public.

Display over Public Buildings/Official Residences

Indian National Flag (Photo Credits: Pixabay)

Normally the National Flag should be flown only on important public buildings like High Courts, Secretariats, Commissioners’ Offices, Collectorates, Jails and offices of the District Boards, Municipalities and Zilla Parishads, and Departmental/Public Sector Undertakings. The flag shall be flown on these buildings on all days and will be flown from sunrise to sunset irrespective of weather conditions.

The National Flag should be flown on the official residence of the President, 77 Vice- President, Governors and Lieutenant Governors when they are at Headquarters, and also on the buildings in which they stay during their visits to places outside the Headquarters.

Also, it should be flown from sunrise to sunset on these official residences on Republic Day, Independence Day, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, National Week (6th to 13th April in the memory of martyrs of Jalianwala Bagh).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 14, 2018 11:36 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).