According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), he will also unveil the new Naval Ensign (Nishaan), doing away with the colonial past and befitting rich Indian maritime heritage.
On September 2, the Indian Navy would get a new insignia without the Saint George's cross which has been there on its flag since the Britishers put it during the pre-independence era, said Navy officials.
The officials also informed that the cross symbol was removed from the flag during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government between 2001 and 2004 but was again brought back after Sonia Gandhi-led UPA came back to power. The government cited certain issues raised by the then Navy officials over the symbol.
They further said that the government is choosing from around 10 different designs that have been given to them by the naval headquarters, however, the suggestions range from depicting 11 waves on the flag representing 11 different coastal states.
The Navy officials said that there was also a suggestion about including a sign from the times of the ancient navies of India which included the Cholas and later the Marathas.
After PM Modi's approval, President Droupadi Murmu will give her final approval as the Supreme Commander of the armed forces. The Prime Minister will visit Karnataka and Kerala on September 1 and 2.
On September 1, PM Modi will visit Sri Adi Shankara Janma Bhoomi Kshetram, the holy birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya. On September 2, he will commission the first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi.
Thereafter at 1:30 PM, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth around ₹3,800 crores in Karnataka's Mangaluru.
Know more about INS Vikrant
INS Vikrant has been designed by the Indian Navy's in-house Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited which is a Public Sector Shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways.
INS Vikrant is the largest ship ever built in the maritime history of India. It has been built with state-of-the-art automation features.
The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier is named after her illustrious predecessor, India's first Aircraft Carrier which had played a vital role in the 1971 war. It has a large number of indigenous equipment and machinery, involving major industrial houses in the country as well as over 100 MSMEs.
(With ANI inputs)
