No data on who designed flag: MHA’s RTI reply

It seems that the identity of the designer of the Indian tricolour will remain a mystery forever.

The Union home minister has stated in response to an RTI query filed by this newspaper that the Constituent Assembly, on July 22, 1947, adopted the Indian national flag but doesn’t attribute its design to any individual.

It has also made it clear that it has no information about whether the flag was designed by Pingli Venkayya of Andhra Pradesh or Suraiya Tayyabji, wife of a civil servant in New Delhi, whose names generally come up in the context, or any other person.

This newspaper had filed an RTI query with the ministry seeking information about who designed the national flag and when; who approved the design; a copy of the resolution approving the final design of the flag; and a copy of the original proposal or first proposal of the tricolour, if submitted by Pingli Venkayya or Suraiya Tayyabji, or any other person.

In reply, Anuj Sharma, director (A&V) and central public information officer of the Union home ministry, stated: “It is informed that as per the book Our Flag, published by the publications division of the ministry of information and broadcasting, Government of India, the Constituent Assembly on 22 July, 1947, adopted the Indian national flag. Copies of the relevant extracts are enclosed herewith. No other information related to your queries (name of designer of national flag) is available with the undersigned.”

In contradiction, the Indian government website, India.gov.in, on its page “History of Indian tricolor” acknowledged even till Tuesday that the “National Flag of India was designed by Pingali Venkayya and adopted in its present form during the meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22 July 1947, a few days before India’s independence from the British on 15 August, 1947. It served as the national flag of the Dominion of India between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950 and that of the Republic of India thereafter. In India, the term ‘tricolour’ refers to the Indian national flag.”