The Indian Naval Ensign, also referred to as the Indian White Ensign, or ''Nishaan'', is the
naval ensign
A naval ensign is an ensign (maritime flag) used by naval ships of various countries to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from a country's civil ensign or state ensign.
It can also be known as a war ensign. A large ve ...
of the
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates si ...
, used aboard
Indian naval vessels,
shore establishments and
naval air stations as its principal form of maritime identification.
Colonial-era ensigns
The blue ensign of the
Star of India was used from 1879–1892 as the
naval ensign
A naval ensign is an ensign (maritime flag) used by naval ships of various countries to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from a country's civil ensign or state ensign.
It can also be known as a war ensign. A large ve ...
of Her Majesty's Indian Marine (1879–1892). It was then used by the Royal Indian Marine (1892–1934), subsequently upgraded to the
Royal Indian Navy
The Royal Indian Navy (RIN) was the naval force of British India and the Dominion of India. Along with the Presidency armies, later the Indian Army, and from 1932 the Royal Indian Air Force, it was one of the Armed Forces of British India.
F ...
(1934–1950). The
white ensign
The White Ensign, at one time called the St George's Ensign due to the simultaneous existence of a cross-less version of the flag, is an ensign worn on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross ...
of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
was used from 1928–1950 as the naval ensign of the Royal Indian Marine and then the Royal Indian Navy.
Following the reconstitution of the Royal Indian Marine as a combatant force in 1928, the
White Ensign
The White Ensign, at one time called the St George's Ensign due to the simultaneous existence of a cross-less version of the flag, is an ensign worn on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross ...
, the naval ensign of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
, was adopted, and was subsequently raised for the first time on 11 November 1928.
Pre-1947
Independence-era ensigns
1947–2001
Following India's
emergence as an independent nation on 15 August 1947, the Royal Indian Navy continued the use of the White Ensign as its preferred choice, until 26 January 1950, when the country formally became a
republic.
Correspondingly thereafter, the Royal Indian Navy was re-christened the Indian Navy, while the service's crest and flags were duly changed to India-centric configurations. However, the White Ensign, featuring the
St. George's Cross over a white field, was retained, with the replacement of the
Union Jack
The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
with the
Flag of India being the only alteration.
Following the ensign's institution, a
commissioning pendant and
naval rank flags were also introduced.
Based on the rank flags of the Royal Navy, the new rank flags of the Indian Navy also exhibited the St. George's Cross, albeit with the ''
Dharmachakra
The dharmachakra (Sanskrit: धर्मचक्र; Pali: ''dhammacakka'') or wheel of dharma is a widespread symbol used in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and especially Buddhism.John C. Huntington, Dina Bangdel, ''The Circle o ...
'' (Wheel of Law), a national symbol, in the intersection of the cross, as an extra addition.
In line with naval tradition of the former service, each rank flag bore a display of red balls in the flag's quadrant, representing the naval officer's rank - zero balls for the
Chief of the Naval Staff (an
admiral by rank), one ball for
vice admirals
A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tr ...
, two balls for
rear admirals and again one ball for
commodores
Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...
.
In addition to these measures, a
presidential standard The presidential standard or presidential flag is the flag that is used in many countries as a symbol of the head of state or president. In some countries it may be for exclusive use of the president or only raised where the president is present. An ...
, based on the modified ensign was also introduced, featuring a gold-colored elephant in the fly, symbolising strength and courage, as an added feature.
Originally, the ensign was made in a proportional ratio of 1:2, but by the 1980s, it had been altered to 2:3, while the presidential standard was made in 4:5 proportions.
2001–2004
By the early 1970s, amidst
decolonization
Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on separatism, in ...
, the desire for the introduction of a new ensign bereft of any colonial-era identity became very strong within the ranks of the Indian Navy.
The impulse for a new, domestic-centric ensign was further amplified by the examples of
Australia and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, which abolished the St. George's Cross from their respective naval ensigns in 1967 and 1968, respectively. However, the original idea for a post-colonial ensign is generally credited to Vice Admiral V.E.C. Barboza, a former
Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command
The Western Naval Command is one of the three command–level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. As the senior–most of the three formations, the command is responsible for the all naval forces in the A ...
, who suggested the change around the same period.
Consequently, the
Union Government
The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
, then led by the
National Democratic Alliance, chaired by
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, changed the naval ensign in 2001, to a newer design featuring a blue-colored crest of the Indian Navy set upon a white background, with the Flag of India placed in the
canton.
The change, derived from the objective of simplicity and the necessity to maintain commonality with the flags of the
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
and the
Indian Air Force, was approved by the
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Mur ...
on 30 April 2001, and came into effect on 15 August 2001.
The naval rank flags, which too had portrayed the St. George's Cross, were changed to a newer pattern, based on the ensign.
The new rank flags depicted the blue-colored naval crest at the hoist, while rank-specific stars were placed at the fly - four for the Chief of the Naval Staff, three for vice admirals, two for rear admirals and one for commodores.
A five-star rank flag was also created separately as an honorary measure for the position of
fleet admiral; however, the rank has never been never conferred to this day.
The proportion of the ensign, and the rank flags had 2:3 proportions, while the commodore's broad pennant and the Senior Officer's pennant had 1:2 proportions.
Irrespective of the changes, the national flag continued to serve as the naval jack, while the Indian Blue Ensign, meant for the naval reserve, remained untouched.
Nevertheless, the new ensign was a troubled and unpopular change, as many complained that the blue of the naval crest was indistinguishable from the sky and the ocean, when viewed from afar.
Ultimately, in 2004, after three years in service, the Indian Navy retired the use of the altered ensign, reverting to the use of its former one. Following the decision of its impending replacement, the altered ensign and its corresponding flags were subsequently flown for the final time on 24 April 2004.
2004–2022
In the wake of the troubled use of the altered ensign and its subsequent discontinuation, the Vajpayee-government reintroduced a modified variant of the former naval ensign, on 25 April 2004. The new, modified version bore the St. George's Cross, albeit with an additional touch-up of the
State Emblem of India at the intersection, as an added feature.
The proportions of the ensign was reverted to the ratio of 1:2, while the original rank flags were restored, except for the pennant of the Senior Officer, which was redesigned to match the other rank flags.
In 2014, the ensign was further customized to feature the
Indian national motto in the
Devanagari
Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the ...
script: सत्यमेव जयते (''
Satyameva Jayate''), translated in English as "Truth Alone Triumphs", beneath the state emblem.
The updated ensign was accorded presidential approval in July 2014 and was formally adopted on 15 August 2014.
The ensign remained in active use until 1 September 2022, when the Indian Navy announced that its design would be revised in a favor of a new, domestic-centric one.
2022–present
In August 2022, the
Prime Minister's Office announced that the naval ensign featuring the St. George's Cross would be irrevocably disposed of, in favor of a newer design that would "do away with the colonial past" and befit the "rich Indian maritime heritage".
The revised ensign, which happened to be its fourth alteration since 1950, was unveiled for the first time by prime minister
Narendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament fro ...
on 2 September, at the commissioning ceremony of
aircraft carrier INS ''Vikrant''. Prior to its unveiling, the ensign's revised design, along with the patterns of its distinguishing rank flags, car flags and masthead pennant was accorded presidential approval.
In continuity with the versions introduced after the country's independence, the current ensign features the national flag of India in the canton on a white field. It includes a
navy blue
Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue.
Navy blue got its name from the dark blue (contrasted with naval white) worn by officers in the Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world. When this color ...
-
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
octagon in the fly.
The octagon, furnished with two golden borders and a navy blue background, encompasses the crest of the Indian Navy - highlighting the national emblem, mounted atop an anchor superimposed on a naval shield.
However, the ensign features a clear anchor, which depicts steadfastness, as opposed to the emblem of the Indian Navy, which featured a
fouled anchor
Foul is a nautical term meaning to entangle or entwine, and more generally that something is wrong or difficult. The term dates back to usage with wind-driven sailing ships.
Foul anchor
It is usually applied to the state of an anchor, which has b ...
.
Below the shield, the octagon also features a golden-bordered ribbon bearing the navy's motto in the Devanagari script: शं नो वरुणः (''Śhaṁ No
Varuna
Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, such ...
ḥ''), translated in English as "May the Lord of Water be auspicious unto us".
The current ensign bears similarity to the design of the version in service
between 2001 and 2004, given both designs have similar portrayals of the naval crest, with the only difference being of the current ensign's display of the navy blue-gold colored octagon.
The octagon's navy blue background depicts the
blue-water capabilities of the Indian Navy, while the two gold borders act as an inspirational emulation of the ''Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Rajmudra'', also referred to as the Seal of
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
In addition, the octagonal shape also represents the eight directions: four cardinal and four inter-cardinal, symbolizing the multidirectional reach and multidimensional operational capability of the navy.
In December 2022, three months after the introduction of the new ensign,
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Droupadi Murmu
Droupadi Murmu (, born 20 June 1958) is an Indian politician who has been serving as the 15th president of India since 25 July 2022. She is the first person belonging to the tribal community and also the second woman after Pratibha Patil to hol ...
approved the creation of two more naval flags - a Presidential Standard and a Presidential Color, as honorary acknowledgements to static and mobile naval formations respectively, for distinguished and meritorious service.
Both the Presidential Standard and the Presidential Color retain the design of the naval ensign, with the only addition being that of the National Emblem which is placed in the upper fly above the naval crest.
See also
Naval ensigns of other countries
*
Australian White Ensign
The Australian White Ensign (also known as the Australian Naval Ensign or the Royal Australian Navy Ensign) is a naval ensign used by ships of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1967 onwards. From the formation of the RAN until 1967, Australi ...
*
New Zealand White Ensign
The New Zealand White Ensign (also known as the New Zealand Naval Ensign or the Royal New Zealand Navy Ensign) is a naval ensign used by ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) from 1968. Based on the Royal Navy's White Ensign, it features th ...
*
Canadian Naval Ensign
Others
*
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates si ...
*
Star of India (flag)
The Star of India refers to a group of flags used during the period of the British Raj in the Indian subcontinent. India had a range of flags for different purposes during its existence. The Princely states had their own flags which were to be ...
*
List of Indian flags
This is a list of flags used in India by various organizations. For more information about the national flag, visit the article Flag of India.
National flag
Governmental flag
Ensigns
Naval
Port authorities
Military flags ...
*
Naval heraldry
Naval heraldry is a form of identification used by naval vessels from the end of the 19th century onwards, after distinguishing features such as figureheads and gilding were discouraged or banned by several navies.
Naval heraldry commonly takes ...
References
{{Reflist
Flags of India
Indian Navy
Naval ensigns
Flags with crosses