On 21 July 2026, the Department of Youth Affairs (through MY Bharat) launched a National Flag of India Quiz 2026 as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, ahead of the 79th Independence Day. The date is fitting: the National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 July 1947. For a CDS/OTA aspirant, the Tiranga and India's national symbols are staple static-GK-and-polity material — the kind of factual, exam-friendly content that also carries deep civic meaning.
The news in one frame
The essentials:
- What: a National Flag Quiz 2026 on the MY Bharat portal, open till 15 August.
- Campaign: Har Ghar Tiranga — encouraging citizens to hoist the flag at home.
- Occasion: India's 79th Independence Day.
- Anniversary link: the National Flag was adopted on 22 July 1947 by the Constituent Assembly.
The design of the Tiranga
Start with the flag's design — a favourite factual set. The National Flag ("Tiranga") is a horizontal tricolour of three equal bands:
- Saffron (Kesari) on top — symbolising courage and sacrifice,
- White in the middle — symbolising peace and truth, and
- Green at the bottom — symbolising faith, fertility and prosperity.
In the centre of the white band is the Ashoka Chakra — a navy-blue wheel with 24 spokes, adapted from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. The Chakra represents the "wheel of law/dharma" and motion — the idea that a nation must keep moving forward. The flag's ratio of length to width is 3:2. This civic knowledge is exactly what the CDS/OTA polity notes build on.
Who designed it — and when it was adopted
The history is examinable:
- The flag's design is credited to Pingali Venkayya, a freedom fighter from Andhra Pradesh, whose earlier tricolour design evolved into the national flag.
- The present flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 July 1947 — just weeks before independence.
- The Ashoka Chakra replaced the earlier charkha (spinning wheel) of the Congress flag, to make it a flag for the whole nation.
- On independence (15 August 1947), this became the flag of free India.
These themes recur in the CDS/OTA daily current affairs and modern-history coverage.
The Flag Code of India
The rules around the flag are a reliable discriminator. The display of the flag is governed by:
- The Flag Code of India, 2002, and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 and the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950.
- The Flag Code was amended (2021–2022) to allow the flag to be made of cotton, wool, silk OR polyester (earlier only handspun/hand-woven khadi) and, crucially, to permit flying it day and night (earlier only sunrise to sunset) — changes that enabled the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.
- Respecting the flag is a Fundamental Duty under Article 51A(a) of the Constitution.
The revision hook: Tiranga = saffron (courage), white (peace), green (prosperity), with the navy-blue Ashoka Chakra (24 spokes, from Sarnath); ratio 3:2; design credited to Pingali Venkayya; adopted 22 July 1947; governed by the Flag Code of India 2002 (amended 2021–22 to allow polyester + day-and-night flying); respect for the flag = Fundamental Duty, Article 51A(a).
India's national symbols
Round out with the full set of national symbols the exam loves to test together:
- National Emblem — the Lion Capital of Ashoka (Sarnath), with the motto "Satyameva Jayate" (Truth alone triumphs) from the Mundaka Upanishad.
- National Anthem — "Jana Gana Mana" by Rabindranath Tagore (adopted 24 January 1950).
- National Song — "Vande Mataram" by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
- National Animal — Tiger; National Bird — Peacock; National Flower — Lotus; National Tree — Banyan; National River — Ganga; National Fruit — Mango.
- National Calendar — the Saka calendar.
Flag protocol — the do's and don'ts
A little more depth the exam rewards — the Flag Code sets out respectful display:
- The saffron band must be at the top when the flag is flown horizontally; the flag must never touch the ground or water.
- A damaged or soiled flag must not be flown; the flag should not be used as drapery, clothing or for carrying goods.
- When flown with other flags on a line, the National Flag takes the place of honour; it is hoisted briskly and lowered slowly.
- On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast as notified.
These conventions, plus the 2021–22 relaxations (polyester allowed, day-and-night flying), are exactly what a National Flag Quiz tests — and a good candidate should know both the symbolism and the protocol.
Why it matters
For the essay/interview and bigger picture:
- National identity & unity: the flag is a unifying symbol of a diverse nation.
- Civic duty: respecting national symbols is both a Fundamental Duty and a mark of citizenship.
- Participation: campaigns like Har Ghar Tiranga deepen public engagement with the freedom struggle and the Republic.
Exam relevance in one paragraph
For CDS/OTA GK, retain: the National Flag (Tiranga) has three horizontal bands — saffron (courage/sacrifice), white (peace/truth) and green (prosperity/faith) — with a navy-blue Ashoka Chakra of 24 spokes (from the Sarnath Lion Capital) in the centre, in a 3:2 ratio; its design is credited to Pingali Venkayya, and it was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 July 1947; display is governed by the Flag Code of India, 2002 (amended 2021–22 to allow polyester and day-and-night hoisting), and respecting it is a Fundamental Duty under Article 51A(a); the national emblem is the Lion Capital with "Satyameva Jayate," the anthem is Jana Gana Mana (Tagore) and the national song is Vande Mataram. For the essay, frame the flag as a symbol of unity and civic duty.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. The National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on: (a) 22 July 1947 (b) 15 August 1947 (c) 26 January 1950 (d) 26 November 1949 → (a) — 22 July 1947.
Q2. The top band of the Indian flag is: (a) saffron (b) green (c) white (d) blue → (a) — saffron (Kesari).
Q3. The Ashoka Chakra has how many spokes? (a) 24 (b) 12 (c) 32 (d) 8 → (a) — 24 spokes.
Q4. The Ashoka Chakra is adapted from the Lion Capital at: (a) Sarnath (b) Sanchi (c) Amaravati (d) Ajanta → (a) — Sarnath.
Q5. The length-to-width ratio of the National Flag is: (a) 3:2 (b) 2:1 (c) 4:3 (d) 1:1 → (a) — 3:2.
Q6. The design of the flag is credited to: (a) Pingali Venkayya (b) Rabindranath Tagore (c) Bankim Chandra (d) Nandalal Bose → (a) — Pingali Venkayya.
Q7. The white band of the flag symbolises: (a) peace and truth (b) courage (c) prosperity (d) sacrifice → (a) — peace and truth.
Q8. The display of the flag is governed by the: (a) Flag Code of India, 2002 (b) IPC (c) RTI Act (d) Advocates Act → (a) — the Flag Code of India, 2002.
Q9. Respect for the National Flag is a: (a) Fundamental Duty (Article 51A) (b) Fundamental Right (c) Directive Principle (d) statutory right → (a) — a Fundamental Duty under Article 51A(a).
Q10. The 2021–22 Flag Code amendment allowed the flag to be: (a) flown day and night and made of polyester (b) only khadi (c) only white (d) flown only in Delhi → (a) — day-and-night hoisting and polyester material.
Q11. The National Emblem's motto "Satyameva Jayate" is taken from the: (a) Mundaka Upanishad (b) Bhagavad Gita (c) Rig Veda (d) Ramayana → (a) — the Mundaka Upanishad.
Q12. The National Anthem "Jana Gana Mana" was written by: (a) Rabindranath Tagore (b) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (c) Sarojini Naidu (d) Subramania Bharati → (a) — Rabindranath Tagore.
Q13. The National Song of India is: (a) Vande Mataram (b) Jana Gana Mana (c) Sare Jahan Se Achha (d) Vaishnav Jan To → (a) — Vande Mataram (by Bankim Chandra).
Q14. The green band of the flag symbolises: (a) faith, fertility and prosperity (b) sacrifice (c) peace (d) power → (a) — faith, fertility and prosperity.
Q15. The "Har Ghar Tiranga" campaign encourages citizens to: (a) hoist the flag at their homes (b) sing the anthem only (c) plant trees (d) clean rivers → (a) — fly the national flag at home.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
National symbols are a high-frequency CDS/OTA static-GK set. The reliable framings are the flag's colours/Ashoka Chakra (24 spokes, Sarnath), its 3:2 ratio and adoption date (22 July 1947), the Flag Code, and the wider symbols (emblem, anthem, song). A common trap gives the Chakra the wrong number of spokes or confuses the anthem (Tagore) with the song (Bankim Chandra). The fresh 2026 hook is Har Ghar Tiranga — ideal for "which colour / how many spokes / which Act" items. We reference the pattern, not any exact past question.
Preparing for CDS or OTA? National symbols, the Constitution and static GK are high-yield topics and strong essay/interview material on patriotism and duty. Follow our daily CDS/OTA current affairs and train with serving-officer faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
✍️ Written by Hitendra Deswal — Polity & governance faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk. The Cavalier, founded by ex-Army officers, has trained NDA/CDS/SSB aspirants since 2001 (Facebook · YouTube).
Source: PIB / Department of Youth Affairs (MY Bharat), 21 July 2026. Facts cross-verified with independent sources.