The new Naval Ensign was introduced on September 2 at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In an effort to shed the colonial past and honour the rich Indian maritime tradition, the Indian Naval Ensign was redesigned. During the commissioning of the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the Prime Minister introduced the new Naval Ensign "Nishaan."
The St. George's Cross, which has a red cross on a white backdrop, serves as the previous Indian Naval Ensign. When India gained independence, the Union Jack was replaced with the Indian flag in the corner of the cross. The famous Maratha Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the inspiration for the new naval ensign.
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What is St. George’s Cross?
The Saint George's Cross is a red cross with a white background that depicts the name of a Christian warrior saint who is thought to have participated in the Third Crusade. The United Kingdom's member state of England, which is represented by this cross, also uses it as its flag.
England and the city of London adopted the flag in 1190 for English ships sailing into the Mediterranean. The British White Ensign, as it is now known, was first adopted in its current pattern in or around 1707. The Royal Navy adopted the George's Cross to fly on their ships in a variety of shapes and patterns.
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Evolution of the Indian Naval Ensign
Since India gained its independence, the Indian Naval Ensign has undergone numerous changes. For the first time, the navy ensign was "Indianized" after India gained its independence in 1950. The Indian tricolour flag was adopted in place of the ensign, which previously had the Union Jack of the United Kingdom over the red Cross of St. George.
The navy ensign underwent a change in 2001 when the tricolour was kept in the upper left corner and the naval crest took the place of the George's Cross in the middle of the white flag. Interestingly, the decision to change the ensign was made by Vice Admiral Vivian Barboza, who retired from the Navy after serving as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command in the early 1970s.
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Later, in 2004, the ensign was once more modified to the Red George's Cross with the state emblem inspired by Ashoka's Lion capital. The Navy crest's blue colour blended with the blue of the sky and the sea, which led to concerns that the new flag was unreadable. The nation's motto, "Satyameva Jayate," was added to the flag in 2014 in Devanagari script.
(With inputs from agency)
