National Emblem - State Emblem

The National Emblem of India is a representative seal of the Republic of India that is adapted from the Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar (based in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh.) India adopted it as the State Emblem on 26th January 1950. The motto of the Indian National Emblem is ‘Satyamev Jayate’ or ‘Truth Alone Triumphs.’

The National Emblem is the symbol of authority and is present in all the official communications of the government.

This article is about the National Emblem of India – its historical background, rules related to the emblem, meaning of the symbols engraved in it. This topic is important for various government exams in the Prelims section.

The State Emblem of India is one of the National Symbols of India. Read about other National Symbols of India from the linked articles below:

Brief Facts about National Emblem of India for UPSC

What is an Emblem?

An emblem by description is “a heraldic instrument or symbolic object as a unique insignia of a nation, organization, or family”. The National Emblem of a nation is a seal that is earmarked for official purposes and orders the highest admiration and loyalty. For a nation, it is a symbol of power and signifies the foundation of its constitutional values. The Indian National Emblem was accepted on 26 January 1950 by Madhav Sawhney.

According to the rules, the National Emblem of India can only be used as per provisions of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act-2005 and any unauthorized use is punishable under law.

20 Facts about National Emblem of India for UPSC

A list of 14 facts  about the Indian National Emblem is provided below:

Source – https://knowindia.gov.in/

1. The Ashoka pillar, erected by Emperor Ashoka, has four lions seated back to back which imply power, courage, confidence and pride.
2. Other animals demonstrated on the pillar are a horse, a bull, an elephant and a lion.
3. The elephant denotes Buddha’s outset (the dream of a white elephant entering her womb dreamt by Buddha’s mother at the time of Buddha’s conception).
4. The bull symbolizes the Zodiac sign of Buddha- Taurus.
5. The horse signifies Buddha’s horse, which he rode at the time of departing from the citadel.
6. The lion indicates enlightenment.
7. All the Ashoka Pillars were carved by craftsmen from the same area using stone from Chunar and Mathura.
8. Each pillar is around 40 to 50 feet in height, and weighing up to 50 tons each, were pulled to where they were raised.
9. Only six pillars with animal capitals and nineteen pillars persist with inscriptions.
10. The engravings on the pillars described proclamations about morality grounded on Buddhist doctrines.
11. The slogan ‘Satyameva Jayate’- “The Truth Alone Triumphs” is engraved below the National Emblem.
12. The slogan ‘Satyameva Jayate’ is a quote from the Mundaka Upanishad, the closing part of the holy Hindu Vedas.
13. The National Emblem is the official seal of the President of India and Central and State Governments and an inevitable part of the official letterhead of the Government of India.
14. National Emblem is a part of all Indian currency and the National Passport of the Republic of India.
15. In the two-dimensional representation of the emblem on the original copy of the Indian Constitution, the fourth lion was left out.
16. Indian Police Service Officers (IPS) wear the state emblem on their caps.
17. Members of Parliament (MPs) can also use the state emblem on their letterheads and visiting cards.
18. There is a punishment of imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to INR 2000 if someone violates the law concerning the usage of the National Emblem.
19. Dinanath Bhargava is believed to have visited Alipore Zoo in Kolkata to see a lion before he depicted the same on paper.
20. The National Emblem can be displayed in the following public buildings:
    1. Rashtrapati Bhawan
    2. Parliament House
    3. Supreme Court
    4. Central Secretariat buildings
    5. Raj Bhawan or Raj Niwas
    6. State Legislature
    7. High Courts
    8. Secretariat buildings of the States or the Union territories
    9. Premises of India’s Diplomatic Mission Abroad
    10. Residences of Heads of Missions in the countries of their accreditation
    11. At the entrance doors of buildings occupied by India’s Consulates abroad

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National Emblem & the Ashoka Pillar

The National Emblem of India is another version of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, conserved in the Sarnath Museum. The pillars of Ashoka are a sequence of columns spread mainly throughout North India, created by the Mauryan king Ashoka during his rule in the 3rd century BC.  In the original Ashoka pillar in Sarnath, there are four lions, standing back to back, fixed on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion parted by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus.

To know more about the list of symbols of states and union territories, check the linked article.

In the National emblem, accepted by the Government of India, only three lions are noticeable, the fourth lion is hidden from view as it is seated back. The wheel seems in relief in the centre of the abacus with a horse on the left and a bull on the right and the outlines of other wheels on the extreme right and left. The bell-shaped lotus is not there.

UPSC has always asked questions regarding National Emblem, National symbols, National Anthem, and the Official language of India which is an important chapter in the India Yearbook.

National Emblem – UPSC Notes:-Download PDF Here

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