Shashi Tharoor Questions Six-Minute Standing Protocol for Vande Mataram, National Anthem
The law makes intentional disruption of Vande Mataram punishable and extends the song the same legal protection as Jana Gana Mana, officials said.
- On Tuesday, President Droupadi Murmu assented to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Bill, 2026, extending statutory legal protections to the national song Vande Mataram, matching the status of the national anthem Jana Gana Mana.
- Constituent Assembly President Dr. Rajendra Prasad stated on January 24, 1950, that Vande Mataram should be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana. The amendment codifies this historical parity, closing a legal gap that previously lacked specific protections against insults to the national song.
- The Union Home Ministry mandates that six stanzas of Vande Mataram, lasting 3 minutes, must be sung at official functions. When performed alongside Jana Gana Mana, the national song must be played first.
- Schools must now begin daily operations with community singing of the national song, and for the first time, Vande Mataram will be performed at the Red Fort during Independence Day. The assembly must stand in attention whenever the song is sung.
- Disrupting the national song is now punishable by fines and imprisonment, mirroring penalties for the national anthem. These offenses carry up to three years of imprisonment, with a minimum of one year for subsequent convictions.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Vande Mataram gets legal protection on par with national anthem: Here is what students must know
President Droupadi Murmu has approved the 2026 amendment extending statutory protection under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act to Vande Mataram. The law now penalises deliberate disruption of the national song’s singing. The story explains the amended provisions, the Home Ministry’s protocols, the song’s historical significance and what students should know about the new rules.
Interrupt Vande Mataram singing and face jail as Bill becomes law
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday, August 11, gave assent to a Bill that criminalises intentional disruption or prevention of the singing of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’, giving it the same legal protection currently accorded to the national anthem, a government statement said With the President’s assent, The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, has become a law. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on …
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