Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Truth
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The Indian National Flag is rich with symbolism. Each colour and symbol carries a deeper meaning. The navy blue wheel in the centre of the flag, known as the Ashoka Chakra, often appears in exam questions that test knowledge of national symbols and their associated values.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The Ashoka Chakra is derived from the Lion Capital of Ashoka and represents the Dharma Chakra, or the wheel of law and righteousness. It conveys ideas of truth, justice, and continuous progress. While movement and progress are associated with a wheel, the core value represented in the context of the national flag is adherence to dharma and truth. Therefore, truth is the closest and most accurate concept among the listed options.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Indian National Flag consists of saffron, white, and green horizontal bands with a navy blue wheel at the centre of the white band.Step 2: Identify this wheel as the Ashoka Chakra, which has 24 spokes and is associated with Emperor Ashoka and the idea of Dharma.Step 3: Understand that Dharma in this context refers to moral law, righteousness, and truth in life and governance.Step 4: Match this understanding with the options and see that truth best reflects the symbolic meaning of the wheel.
Verification / Alternative check:
Descriptions in official and historical sources about the Indian flag clarify that the Ashoka Chakra stands for the eternal wheel of law and the path of righteousness. Truth and justice are central to this idea. While continuous motion and progress are also implied, they are guided by truth and ethical principles, which makes truth the preferred interpretation in simplified exam options.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Speed: Although a wheel suggests motion, speed alone does not capture the deeper moral and spiritual significance of the Ashoka Chakra.
Growth: National growth is important, but the wheel specifically symbolises the moral law of Dharma, not growth in economic or physical terms.
Future: The flag as a whole may represent hopes for the future, but the wheel is tied more closely to timeless principles of truth and justice than to a general notion of future.
Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may focus too literally on the physical nature of a wheel and choose speed or growth, missing the historical and philosophical context of the symbol. Others might think in very broad terms and pick future. The correct approach is to connect the Ashoka Chakra with Dharma Chakra and then with truth and righteousness. Knowing the origin of the symbol in Buddhist and Mauryan history helps remove ambiguity and avoid guesswork.
Final Answer:
The wheel in the centre of the Indian National Flag primarily represents truth and the wheel of Dharma.
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