Ban on national flag import gift to khadi artisans: KVIC

22 Oct '19

1 min read

Pic: Shutterstock

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) recently said the Directorate General of Foreign Trade notification to prohibit import of national flags not adhering to the Flag Code of India, 2002, specifications is a ‘Diwali gift’ to khadi artisans. As per the code, the national flag should be made of hand-spun and woven wool or cotton or silk khadi bunting.

That implies KVIC is the only statutory entity established by an act of parliament having the right to manufacture national flags.

"Since the last two years, KVIC noticed that the sale of national flag was going down," KVIC said in a release.

During 2017-18, the sale was worth ₹3.69 crore and during 2018-19 it came down to ₹3.16 crore—a decline of more than 14 per cent. In 2019-20 so far, the sale has been worth only ₹1.94 crore.

KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said the declining sale of the flag was brought to the notice of minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal.

In a letter to Goyal, Saxena had said the import of counterfeit flags (mostly plastic) is a blatant violation of the Flag Code of India.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

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