President’s Colours:
The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) presented the prestigious President’s Colours to four battalions of the Mechanised Infantry during a solemn ceremony held recently.
- It is the highest honour that can be awarded to any military unit, military training establishments, or State/Union Territory Police Forces of India.
- It is bestowed upon a military unit in recognition of exceptional service rendered to the nation, both in peace and in war.
- It is also known as “Rashtrapati ka Nishaan” in Hindi.
- The President’s Colour award has its history way back to ancient Indian traditions.
- In ancient times, whenever any military unit marched, they carried ‘dhwajas‘ or ‘patakas‘ or simply a flag of their respective kings to demonstrate their king’s supremacy. The flag had emblems or messages of their kings to other rulers.
- During British rule in India, the tradition continued. The military unit of the British Armed Forces carried the king’s/queen’s version of the flag whenever they went for a military march.
- On November 23, 1950, the ‘king’s colour’of the erstwhile British Indian regiments was laid to rest in Chetwode Hall, Dehradun, to make way for the ‘colours’ of the President of the Republic of India.
- The Indian Navy was the first Indian Armed Forces to be awarded the President Colour by Dr. Rajendra Prasad on May 27, 1951.
- It is a type of special flag, also known as ‘Nishaan’, which is awarded to a military unit in an organised ceremony.
Colours are generally presented personally by the President, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and in case of the President’s non-availability, by the Service Chief. - The flag consists of a golden border in the middleand the insignia of a respective military unit, training establishments, and police forces in the centre.
- Sometimes, it may also contain the motto, important achievements and battle participation of those military units to which the award is bestowed.
- During any ceremonial parade, the President’s Colour, i.e., the special flag of a military unit, is kept in a special positionand soldiers often march with the President’s Colour on important dates, like their establishment anniversary.
