From which date did the National Flag Code of India come into effect, consolidating rules regarding the use, display and honour of the Indian national flag?

Introduction / Context:
The national flag is a powerful symbol of identity and unity for any country. In India, the National Flag Code brings together all laws, conventions and practices relating to the correct use and display of the tricolour. Knowing the date on which this consolidated Flag Code came into effect is an important part of general knowledge and is frequently tested in competitive examinations. The question asks for the specific date when the National Flag Code of India became effective.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question mentions the National Flag Code of India and asks when it took effect.
- The options list four dates around two thousand and one and one historical date in nineteen fifty.
- We assume awareness that the Flag Code is often referred to as Flag Code of India 2002.
- The effective date is therefore expected to be connected with the year two thousand and two, not nineteen fifty or earlier years.

Concept / Approach:
The Flag Code of India was introduced to standardise and unify the rules for display of the national flag by government bodies and citizens. It is commonly known as Flag Code of India 2002. A simple way to remember the effective date is to link it with Republic Day, twenty six January, in the year 2002. This is when the Code came into force, consolidating earlier scattered instructions and making it easier for everyone to know how to respectfully use the flag.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the document is specifically called Flag Code of India 2002.Step 2: From the year two thousand and two, consider which of the listed options mention that year.Step 3: Identify that only option A refers to 26 January 2002, while the others refer to dates in two thousand or two thousand and one or to 26 January 1950.Step 4: Connect the introduction of the Flag Code with Republic Day celebrations, which fall on 26 January.Step 5: Conclude that 26 January 2002 is the correct effective date and select option A.

Verification / Alternative check:
An alternative way to confirm the answer is to consult reliable reference sources or government explanations about the Flag Code. They consistently describe it as coming into effect on 26 January 2002. Some current affairs materials also repeat this fact in the context of changes that later allowed the use of polyester flags and wider public display. All these confirmations align with option A and rule out the other dates.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
15 August 2000 and 26 January 2001 are important national days but they did not mark the coming into force of the Flag Code. They may be used as distractors because they are familiar independence and republic related dates, but they are not correct in this context. 15 August 2001 also does not correspond to the effective date of the Code. Option E, 26 January 1950, is the date when the Constitution of India came into effect and India became a republic, not the date of the Flag Code, so it is wrong for this specific question.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the adoption of the national flag in 1947 and the coming into effect of the Constitution in 1950 with the later consolidation of flag rules in 2002. Another common error is to simply guess between similar looking dates around Independence Day and Republic Day without recalling the specific year associated with the Flag Code. It helps to memorise the phrase Flag Code of India 2002 and connect it firmly with 26 January 2002.

Final Answer:
26 January 2002 is the date on which the National Flag Code of India came into effect, consolidating rules for the use and display of the Indian national flag.