• The Karnataka State government has constituted a nine-member committee headed by Principal Secretary, Department of Kannada and Culture, to study and submit a report to the government on the possibility of “designing a separate flag for Karnataka and providing it a statutory standing.”

• Recently, some activists had urged the government to design a separate flag for Kannada ‘naadu’ and accord statutory standing for that.

States permitted to have their own flags:

• In S.R. Bommai v/s Union of India (Supreme Court 1994) case, the Supreme Court has declared that federalism is a basic feature of the Constitution and States are supreme in their sphere.

• This being the Constitutional position, there is no prohibition in the Constitution for the State to have its own flag.

• However, the manner in which the State flag is hoisted should not dishonour the national flag.

• It has to be always below the national flag. The national flag code specifically authorises use of other flags subject to the regulation by the court. So, State flag is not unauthorised.

Source:TH