Sport the flag, but not below waist

However, ban on sporting the National Flag on cushions, gloves, handkerchiefs and napkins would stay, Information & Broadcasting Minister S. Jaipal Reddy told reporters.

The Cabinet also decided to ratify the Unesco Convention on Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to protect tribal music and folk dances of the country. The Cabinet also decided to contribute $5935 every two years to Unesco’s fund for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

This would make India the first country to ratify the convention that was adopted by the 32nd session of the General Conference of Unesco in October 2003, said Reddy.

India’s two art forms — sanskrit theatre Kutiyattam and the tradition of vedic chanting — have already been proclaimed as masterpieces of oral and intangible heritage of humanity by Unesco. India has submitted a proposal for the inclusion of Ramlila too, Reddy said.

After ratifying the convention, each country would preserve and conserve the art forms in digital form, on the basis of which schemes would be formed to safeguard or revive them.

Each signatory has to draw up an inventory of intangible cultural heritage that would be regularly updated and submitted to an inter-governmental committee. The convention also provides for establishing one or more bodies to safeguard the heritage art forms.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs extended the nutrition programme for adolescent girls to the current financial year and approved Rs 120.94 crore for the scheme that would be implemented in 51 districts.

Pregnant and lactating women who are covered under the Integrated Child Development Services scheme programme would be excluded from the programme.