New Naval Ensign (Flag) Replaces The Crest And The Naval Emblem

Flag Unveils At First Indigenously-Built Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant

During the commissioning of the country's first indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the new naval ensign (flag) that retired a British colonial symbol for the Indian Navy. The IAF and Army flags would "keep a similarity" with the new navy ensign as well. The Indian flag is placed atop the Navy's current ensign, a white flag with red bars running horizontally and vertically to symbolise the Cross of Saint George. The tricolour is displayed next to the staff in the upper canton. This ensign substantially replaces the one used by the Indian Navy prior to independence, which had the red George's Cross on a white background and the Union Jack of the United Kingdom in the top left corner. Since 1950, there have been four changes to the Naval Ensign. The late former President Pranab Mukherjee reportedly gave his assent to replace the crest and the naval emblem, according to information in the public domain. On August 15, 2014, the Indian Navy approved the updated crest and symbol.

Beginning of Indian Navy

Colonial times saw the beginning of the Indian Navy. The naval service changed its name to Royal Indian Navy on October 2, 1934. (RIN). The term "Royal" was eliminated when India became a Republic on January 26, 1950, and the Indian Navy was given its current name. The British colonial flags were still flown by the Indian defence forces after independence, however after January 26, 1950, the flags were modified to feature Indianized designs. The tricolour was used in place of the Union Jack in the canton of the Indian Navy's flag, although the St. George's Cross was kept. India changed the George's Cross in the centre of the Navy ensign to the naval crest in 2001 while keeping the tricolour in the upper left corner. The ensign's modifications, however, were undone in 2004 in response to complaints that the new flag was unrecognisable since the navy crest's blue had blended with the blue of the sky and the ocean. The George's Cross was reinstated, but India added its national crest to the centre of the flag. The words "Satyamev Jayate" in Devanagari script were added to the Navy's pennant in 2014 beneath the Ashoka logo. 

The Cross of Saint George 

The Indian Navy's ensign honours the Christian crusader Saint George, who is thought to have participated in the third crusade, with the name Saint George's Red Cross. The Cross of Saint George has a white backdrop with a red cross on it. The Imperial Legislative Council of the UK was represented by the first ensign of the Indian Navy, which flew the British flag over a blue backdrop. For English ships sailing into the Mediterranean, England and the city of London adopted the flag in 1190. In or around 1707, the British White Ensign, as it is now known, was originally used in its present design. The George's Cross was adopted by the Royal Navy and flown in a variety of designs on their ships.

Commonwealth Nations’ Flag And Naval Crest 

At the time of gaining independence, the majority of Commonwealth nations still wore the Red George's Cross, although throughout time, several have removed it from their individual naval insignia. Among them, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada are well-known. The Canadian flag and naval crest are shown on a white background in a new style that the Royal Canadian Navy adopted in 2013. The Australian navy altered its ensign in 1967, and it now features the Union Jack and six blue stars arranged on a white background, just like the Australian national flag. In 1968, the New Zealand navy similarly abandoned the George's Cross in favour of a white flag with four red stars and the Union Jack in the top left corner. The Red George's Cross is replaced by a green cross on the South African naval ensign. The ensign of the Pakistani navy displays its naval crest, while the flag of the Bangladeshi navy is white with the national flag of Bangladesh in the top left corner.