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Approximately 25 crore flags are needed annually and the production has shifted from large vendors to SHGs. | Photo: Bloomberg
The Culture Ministry said on Wednesday that the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan’, which was launched in 2022, has created employment opportunities for thousands of women associated with self-held groups (SHGs), which have increasingly taken over flag production to meet the massive demand.
Union Culture Secretary Govind Mohan said approximately 25 crore flags are needed annually and the production has shifted from large vendors to SHGs, turning them into a thriving industry as they now produce and sell most of the national flags.
He said when the programme was first launched in 2022 as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there was a significant challenge in meeting the demand for flags.
To address this, the central government procured national flags from large vendors and distributed approximately 7.5 crore flags to the states, directly and through post offices, he noted in a statement, adding that the government also revised the Flag Code of India, enabling the involvement of various stake-holders in flag production, including women’s SHGs.
“By the second year, the demand for central government-supplied national flags significantly dropped to around 2.5 crore, as women’s SHGs increasingly took over flag production. A notable example is Uttar Pradesh, which purchased 4.5 crore flags from the government in 2022 but did not buy any in 2023, thanks to the self-sufficiency of its SHGs in flag production,” Mohan said.
In 2024, he said, the demand for central government-supplied flags further decreased to just 20 lakhs, with SHGs becoming the primary producers.
“This shift from large vendors to SHGs has transformed these groups into a thriving industry. These SHGs now produce and sell most of the national flags. PM Modi’s Har Ghar Tiranga campaign has not only ensured ‘Jan Bhagidari’ (people’s participation) but also generated significant economic opportunities for women across the country,” he said.
The government has encouraged the citizens to hoist the national flag at their homes, work places and institutions to promote patriotism and unity as part of the campaign, which has continued during this year’s Independence Day celebrations.
(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.)
First Published: Aug 14 2024 | 5:55 PM IST
