President's Colour Award
The President's Colour Award is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon any military unit of India. It is also known as "′Nishaan′" which is an emblem that will be worn by all unit officers on the left-hand sleeve of their uniform. The presentation of the award or standards by the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of India (President of India) is an acknowledgement of the unit's meritorious service. While the practice of carrying the Colour into battle has stopped, the tradition of receiving, holding and parading the Colour continues even  today in the Armed forces. To this day, the President's Colours is very significant, if the unit lose their colours, it is a disgrace for that unit and, if the unit captured the enemy's colours then it is a great honour for that unit. The 'Standards' are awarded to Heavy Cavalry and the 'Guidons' are awarded to Light Cavalry. History. In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Egypt some about 5,000  years ago. In Indian context, 'Colours or Standards' are also known as 'Dhwajs or Patakas'. The concept of dhwajs has also roots in the 'Vedas' and 'Puranas'. The armies of the king or emperor were also carries the 'Dhwajs'. If the army lost its dhwaj to the hands of enemy, then it means disgrace and if the army capture the dhwaj of the enemy, then it means an honour. If the army accept the dhwajs of the King/Emperor, then it means that the army has accepted the supremacy of that King/Emperor. In regiments of infantry of British Army  and other armies of commonwealth nations, each battalion carries two colours, which collectively are called as stand. These are large flags 36in × 45in and mounted on a pike which is 8ft7½ in long; the king's/queen's version is usually the version of country's national flag, often trimmed with gold fabric, and with the regiment's insignia placed in the centre. The Regimental colour is a flag of a single colour, usually the colour of the uniform facing (collar/lapels/cuffs) of the regiment, again often trimmed and with the insignia in the centre. Most of  the regiments that are designated as 'royal' regiments (that is either have the word 'Royal' or have the sponsorship of a royal personage in their name) have a navy blue colour Regimental Colour. Irish Regiments, today the Royal Irish Regiment, have a dark green Regimental Colour. With East India Company coming under the control of the English, the regiments in India started as carrying colours of the British Crown. Later, it became the President's Colours. India became a republic on 26 January 1950. One day earlier on 25 January, all 33 of the King's Colours which had been  presented to the Royal Indian Army, Royal Indian Navy, Royal Indian Air Force and their respective commands were "laid up" at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. From, 26 January 1950 onwards, the use of the prefix 'Royal' was discontinued. Later, they became the colours of the President of Republic of India. On 27 February 1951, the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Sir Edward Parry, wrote to the defence minister Baldev Singh: "As you know that India became a Republic, Naval Custom was to parade the King's Colours ashore on the special ceremonial occasions. On and  after 26 January 1950, however this practice was ceased and the ordinary Naval Ensign has been paraded instead. It would be a privilege of which the service would be extremely proud if the President of India would honour the Indian Navy by presenting to it a special flag which would be paraded on important occasions in the same manner as the King's Colours used to be." Following the British tradition of the Navy being the senior of the three branches Armed Forces, the Indian Navy was the first to presented with the President's Colours on 27 May 1951 . In the years that followed, as the Navy grew in size and the function, President's Colours were presented to the Naval Commands and the Fleets. The President's Colours/Standard/Guidon is one of the greatest honours bestowed upon in recognition of exceptional service rendered by it to the nation, both during war and peace. Design of the Colour. Army Unit Presidential Colour. The President's Colours of Indian Army infantry battalions (both regular line and rifle and scout infantry) follow the format of the line infantry regimental colours of the Commonwealth (and the Queen's Colours of the  Foot Guards of the British Army, in the case of the Brigade of the Guards). Each Colour is gold fringed and is brought out on major ceremonies. In the center, the heraldic badge and distinctive unit insignia of the reporting regiment is stationed, surrounded by wreaths in which the battalion motto can be seen. On the sides of the colour, which is in the facing colour of the regiment, are the recognized battle honours won by the battalion and the whole of the regiment. Some battle honours of the regiments of infantry, granted prior to independence to units for battles  or campaigns in India against the local rulers or nationalist forces, have been declared as 'repugnant' and are not celebrated or held in esteem, and as in the case of the President's Colours, are not displayed. The recognized battle honours are displayed on gold scrolls that surround the unit badge. Unlike the British Army, which does not have colours for the light infantry and rifle regiments, the Indian Army also has President's Colours present in some of these units (following the Russian precedent adopted after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War), with the first light infantry colour being presented  in 1968. These colours follow a similar design to that of the line infantry. The regimental centre colour, regardless of regiment, follows the same design as the battalion colour, and carries all the recognized battle honors of that regiment. Army Unit President's Standard/Guidon. The President's Standards and Guidons of Indian Army armoured and cavalry formations of the Indian Army Armoured Corps, smaller that the colours of the Infantry, have a similar design. All have gold fringe surrounding them, and the unit badge at the centre of it, surrounded by the recognized battle honors, all in the facing  colour of the unit. The same case for repugnant honours goes for all of these formations of the Armoured Corps. Units awarded the President's Standard have a design similar to the heavy cavalry regiments of the Commonwealth. Units however granted with the President's Guidon carry a similar design to those of the light cavalry regimental guidons, which are swallow-tailed. Navy President's Colour. It was the Indian Navy that was the first branch of the Armed Forces to receive the President's Colour in May 1951, one year after India became a republic of the Commonwealth. This  colour, the President's Colour of the Navy, is the basis of the President's colours of all commands and services of the Navy. Similar to the case of the Royal Navy, all colours share the identical design of the President's Colour, which in turn, is based on the Indian Naval Ensign. It is in white and fringed in gold, with the national flag on the canton with the St. George's Cross, symbolizing the roots of the Navy in the Royal Indian Marine, with the State Emblem of India at the center, in gold, under which, written in  Devanagari script, is the national motto "Truth Alone Triumphs". Air Force President's Colour/Standard. All Indian Air Force combat and combat support formations carry the President's Standard, which is in sky blue with the squadron or helicopter unit heraldic arms with the recognized battle honours given to these formations. The ceremony of presentation of colours. The formation for the ceremonial parade is a battalion-sized (100–500 soldiers) formation of military units of an armed forces formation (from either the navy, army and air force) or a law enforcement formation. Four to eight companies is the usual size of  the parade and a military band combined with a pipe band providing the ceremonial music is present. The parade commander, the Field Officer holding the rank of a major or lieutenant colonel (commander or lieutenant commander in the navy, wing commander or squadron leader in the air force), takes his place in the center of the parade field, assisted by the Second-in-Command and the Parade Adjutant. The President of India, the ceremony's guest of honour, arrives as the parade renders a full National Salute as the National Anthem "Jana Gana Mana" is played by the band and  a 21-gun salute is fired (occasionally by the Indian Army Regiment of Artillery). After the anthem, the parade is inspected, as the band plays a slow march. If any old colours are present, they are marched out of the field for the final time as the new colours of the unit are about to replace these colours, and the parade renders a salute as the audience in the grandstand stands in respect and the President, together with the service chiefs, salutes it one final time. Then, the Sarvadharma Samaroh begins. A drum altar had been formed by members of  the band and the unit pipe band, and the new colour, which had already been removed of its cloth case, is brought there by the quartermaster of the unit. Afterwards, the "Nishaan" is consecrated by military chaplains of religions represented in the Armed Forces (Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity and Islam). Then, the President's Colour is received by an officer designated as Nishan Adhikari on behalf of the military or police unit (in question) during the parade by the President or any other designated person on behalf of him or her, who serves as the unit ensign. Then, the ceremony ends  with the National Anthem as the colour is marched into the parade formation, which salutes the colour. The drummers then return to their places in the band. Following that, the battalion marches past in quick time with the new colours before returning to their places. (If in the Navy, the Colour is dipped in the President's presence while marching past, and is recovered after passing the grandstand). With this portion being complete, the President or delegated reviewing officer will briefly address the regiment of which he/she presented the colours to, which will be concluded with the speaker expressing  confidence in the unit, before that the unit commander makes his address of gratitude thanking the reviewing officer for their words and for their presence in the ceremony. After that, an Advance in Review Order is done, and one final National Salute is rendered. After the final salute, the battalion, together with the band and pipes and drums, marches off in quick time, and the colour guard squad marches off the field. For Indian Armed Forces if the President is absent. In the absence of the President of India, the Vice President of India does not present colours to regiments , ships or air squadrons. The responsibility of being the guest of honour in his or her absence is prerogative of the Services Chiefs and as such, a General Salute is performed as the band plays appropriate music. President's Colours awarded to the Indian Armed Forces. Indian Coast Guard. On 1 December 2002, the President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam awarded the prestigious President's Colours to the Indian Coast Guard, at the Indian Coast Guard Air Station Daman. On 1 April 1954, the President's Colour was awarded to the IAF at Palam by the President Dr.  Rajendra Prasad. The Indian Navy was the first branch of the Armed Forces which was rewarded with the President's Colours on 27 May 1951, by the President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Since then every service command and ground installation of the Navy has been awarded the President's Colour of the Navy.