National Flag Day in India 2025: Know the date, history, significance, and more
On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly of India officially adopted the Indian National Flag, known as the Tiranga, which means Tricolour.
The Indian flag evolved over time, with various designs proposed and used during the freedom struggle, with the earliest flag, created by Sister Nivedita in 1904, featuring red and yellow colours symbolising victory and power, with 'Vande Mataram' inscribed in Bengali.
After several modifications over the years, the present-day flag, the 'tiranga' was adopted with three coloured stripes – saffron, white, and green – and the Ashoka Chakra replacing the charkha as the national emblem, was officially adopted on July 22, 1947.
On August 15, 1947, India gained independence and Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of Independent India, hoisted the Tricolour, the national flag of India, for the first time.
National Flag Day instills a sense of pride, patriotism, and national unity among citizens, while encourages reflection on civic responsibilities, upholds the dignity of the national flag, as outlined in the Flag Code of India, and abides by its values.
Each colour in the Indian national flag has a significant meaning which reflects the country's values and aspirations, while highlighting the sacrifices and struggles of countless freedom fighters who laid down their lives for India's independence.
On this day, schools, government institutions, and various organisations often conduct ceremonies and educational programmes to raise awareness about the flag's history, symbolism, and the rules for its display.
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Hindustan Times
14 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Over 2 lakh Indians gave up citizenship in 2024, reveals government data
More than 2 lakh Indians gave up their citizenship in 2024, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. While the figure is similar to that of the previous year, it is slightly lower, data shared by the government revealed. The figure of 2,06,378 Indians in 2024 is slightly lower than the data recorded in 2023 and 2022, but is higher than that in 2021, 2020 and 2019.( (Getty Images/iStockphoto)) MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh shared the data in response to a question on renouncement of Indian citizenship, asked in Rajya Sabha. A look at how many Indians let go of citizenship in previous years: 2024: 2,06,378 2023: 2,16,219 2022: 2,25,620 2021: 1,63,370 2020: 85,256 2019: 1,44,017 The Ministry of External Affairs was asked if it was aware that there was an upward trend in the number of Indians relinquishing Indian citizenship. However, the data shared in response to the question showed that there was no linear increase in the number of people who gave up their Indian citizenship since 2019. The figure of 2,06,378 Indians in 2024 is slightly lower than the data recorded in 2023 and 2022, but is higher than that in 2021, 2020 and 2019. How Indian citizenship is renounced The government was also asked if it undertakes a through inspection before acceding to the request of giving up Indian citizenship. In response, it detailed the procedure under which one can relinquish the citizenship. In order to give up citizenship, one has to make an application at After this, their original passport and other details will be verified, upon which the documents will be sent to relevant government departments for their feedback, to be submitted within 30 days. Once the particulars of the declaration made by the applicant are verified, the renunciation certificate is approved online after 30 days of acknowledgement.
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First Post
14 minutes ago
- First Post
Operation Sindoor: India targeted terror networks, says govt; denies foreign pressure behind ceasefire
Operation Sindoor was launched in response to a 'barbaric' attack by 'Pakistansponsored terrorists', and the action focussed on dismantling terror infrastructure and neutralising terrorists likely to be sent across to India, the government said on Thursday. read more The central government on Thursday said that Operation Sindoor was launched in response to a 'barbaric' cross-border attack by terrorists backed by Pakistan, with a focused aim to destroy terror infrastructure and eliminate terrorists poised to infiltrate into India. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said the operation was 'focussed, measured and non-escalatory'. Responding to a question on whether Operation Sindoor was initiated due to international pressure, the minister clarified that the action was prompted by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, and not due to any external compulsion. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman also asked about the impact of 'sudden announcement of ceasefire in Operation Sindoor' on the morale of the Indian forces which were 'achieving significant success', but suddenly 'declaring ceasefire was against their morale and the sentiments of the people of the country'. Union minister Singh said Operation Sindoor was launched to respond to a 'barbaric cross-border terror attack by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. It focussed on dismantling terrorist infrastructure and neutralising terrorists likely to be sent across to India'. Pakistan, however, attempted targeting Indian civilian areas, in addition to some military facilities, he said. 'These provocations and escalatory actions by Pakistan were met with a strong and decisive response from the Indian armed forces, inflicting significant damage on the Pakistani military. 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STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It may be noted that India was the Chair of the UN Counter Terrorism Committee in 2022. Similarly, India was also the Chair of the same committee during its 2011-12 term, the MoS added. 'The Government of India has been sensitising all concerned interlocutors on the menace of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. Due to India's persistent efforts, the global community has a greater understanding of India's concerns on cross-border terrorism,' he said. India's efforts over the years have led to listing of several Pakistan-based terrorists and terrorist entities under the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee and the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) 'grey listing of Pakistan', the minister said. The UNSC press statement in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack also 'strongly condemned' the terror attack and acknowledged the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, sponsors and financiers of the attack accountable, he said. Several world leaders have recognised and supported India's actions to combat terrorism following the Pahalgam attack. Most recently, the US has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a separate query, the MEA was asked whether the government has 'formally raised concerns' with the US regarding continued military aid and arms supplies to Pakistan, which could be 'misused against India'; and whether India has taken 'diplomatic steps' to counter 'growing China–Pakistan military cooperation, particularly in PoK'. Singh in his written response said the government of India 'closely monitors' all military and security-related developments in its neighbourhood and regularly takes up 'our concerns in this regard in interactions with our partners at appropriate levels'. 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Business Standard
14 minutes ago
- Business Standard
'UK is back on world stage': Keir Starmer after trade deal with India
The trade deal comes at a time when US President Donald Trump's tariff policies continue to disrupt global trade Bloomberg The UK has restored its international standing after years of 'performative' politics under successive Conservative governments, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an interview after sealing a long-sought trade deal with India on Thursday. The trade deal — the biggest struck by Britain since Brexit — will cut the vast majority of India's tariff lines for the UK, helping exports from Scotch whisky to cars. But speaking at his Chequers country retreat after meeting with Indian Premier Narendra Modi, Starmer said the agreement didn't mark the limit of the UK's ambition, and would provide a baseline of cooperation to build on for the two countries. 'We have re-established the place and position of the UK on the world stage,' Starmer told Bloomberg in his only interview with a major publication to mark crystallisation of the pact, referring also to increased cooperation with the European Union and a trade pact with the US. Now, 'we're seen as a country which other countries want to be working with and delivering with.' The deal signed earlier Thursday by the Indian and British trade ministers eliminated or reduced a swath of tariffs and lifted other barriers to commerce. The pact came after three years of intense negotiations touching on thorny topics such as visas, and tax breaks. The two nations concluded talks in May, completing Britain's biggest trade deal since Brexit and India's most significant such agreement to date. 'This isn't merely paving the way for economic partnership but is also a blueprint for our shared prosperity,' Modi said earlier Thursday, speaking alongside Starmer at Chequers. In an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday evening, Modi's trade minister, Piyush Goyal, said the deal will 'open the doors for more robust and resilient supply chains,' as well as encouraging 'greater investments because of the stable and predictable business environment.' 'It's a win win for both UK and India,' he said. A separate bilateral investment treaty is still being negotiated between the UK and India, which could include more controversial elements such as a provision which allows investors to sue either government if they believe a policy change has unfairly affected their profits. 'I do hope we will get that also across the hump soon,' Goyal said of the treaty, declining to discuss the sticking points. The trade deal comes at a time when US President Donald Trump's tariff policies continue to disrupt global trade, and Starmer told Bloomberg that it marked 'a real statement of intent as to how close we want our two countries to be as we go forward in an uncertain world.' He added that he and Modi had already begun to discuss which areas they could build on. Starmer, whose Labour Party was elected to power a year ago, also made a jibe at his Tory predecessors Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak — both of whom set and missed their own deadlines for agreeing a deal with India, with the former famously promising one by Diwali 2022. 'Serious, pragmatic, respectful diplomacy trumps performative politics any day of the week,' Starmer said. He added that the 'quiet, serious, pragmatic, respectful way' in which he had asked officials to proceed 'achieved results compared with the noisy performance of my predecessors.' Starmer and Modi earlier attended a showcase of businesses who hoped to benefit from the trade deal. Representatives from firms including the supermarket chain Sainsbury's and family-run Spice Kitchen staffed stands under a marquee in the Chequers rose garden, and said they were excited about the opportunities for further cooperation between the UK and India. 'We import a lot from India,' said Spice Kitchen's Sanjay Aggarwal, who runs the business with his mother Shashi. 'Hopefully some of our costs will come down.' Starmer had said he 'loves to cook and loves Indian food,' Aggarwal added. For Modi, the deal reinforces his push to position India as a viable alternative for global supply chains looking to diversify. The pact — India's first major one in a decade — signals that the South Asian nation is willing to lower its barriers to attract investments as it negotiates a bilateral trade deal with the US. It will also act as a springboard for India's ongoing talks with European Union. For Starmer, the deal will be a welcome step toward his goal of boosting economic growth in the UK. While it is expected to add £4.8 billion ($6.5 billion) to the UK's annual economic output — a tiny increase to the size of the economy — Starmer's Labour government hopes successive incremental wins will help encourage investment and turn around lackluster business sentiment. With Trump due to arrive in Scotland on Friday for a personal visit during which he'll meet with Starmer, the signing comes as Britain works to flesh out the trade pact it agreed with the US. Meanwhile the New Delhi administration is racing to clinch a deal with Washington before Aug. 1, when higher tariffs are due to kick in. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
