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Explained: Why the naval ensign was changed from Cross of St George

The current Ensign comprises horizontal and vertical red stripes and at the intersection of the Cross, the Emblem of India is placed while the tri-colour is embedded in the upper left division.

Explained: Why the naval ensign was changed from Cross of St George
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First Published Aug 31, 2022, 11:06 AM IST

In yet another step towards doing away with the colonial past that coincided with the anniversary of 75th years of independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday unveil a new flag for the Indian Navy at Kochi, in a mark to befitting the rich Indian maritime heritage.  

Presently, the Indian Navy’s Ensign holds a red cross that symbolizes the ‘Cross of St George’. The red cross was accorded by the British regime during their rule across India.

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As part of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious initiative of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”, the Indian Navy will get a homegrown Ensign during the commissioning of Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Vikrant at Kochi on September 2.

The current Ensign comprises horizontal and vertical red stripes and at the intersection of the Cross, the Emblem of India is placed while the tri-colour is embedded in the upper left division.

All you need to know about Cross of St George

The Cross, which also serves as the flag of England was adopted in 1190 to identify English ships entering the Mediterranean Sea.

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The Royal Navy adopted it on their ships in a number of shapes and forms. The current form was adopted in the 1700s.

It is pertinent to mention here that even after India got freedom in 1947, the Indian armed forces continued with the British flags and badges till January 26, 1950, the day India adopted its own Constitution.

The Indian Navy replaced the Union Jack with the Indian flag and retained the Cross of St. George.

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Prior to this new change that is set to take place on September 2, the Indian Navy had changed its Ensign on two occasions --- in 2001 and 2014.

In 2001, the Cross of St. George was replaced with the naval crest in the middle of the white flag. The Indian flag remained at the same place --- on the top left corner.

In 2004, the force changed it back with the state emblem derived from the Lion capital of Ashoka in the middle.

In 2014, the word ‘Satyamev Jayate’ was inscripted on the flag below the Ashoka emblem.

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Countries which has changed the red cross as naval ensign

After independence, most of the commonwealth countries retained the Cross of St George but many of them discarded it over a period of time.

Among the countries that have discarded it, include Australia, New Zealand and Canada, South African, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

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