The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday issued fresh guidelines regarding ‘Vande Mataram’, saying the national song must be sung before the national anthem at all government events and schools, with everyone
standing in attention while it is played.
Vande Mataram is India’s national song, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the 1870s and adopted in 1950.
Here’s a quick lowdown on the fresh guidelines and what they mean for you:
What Has The Government Changed?
The new rules define how Vande Mataram should be played, sung and respected at official events and institutions across India. The key update is that the full six-stanza version of the song, including the four stanzas that had been historically excluded by the Congress from official use, must be played or sung at many government functions and school programmes.
Why Has The Government Issued These Guidelines Now?
Previously, Vande Mataram did not have a clearly defined national protocol, unlike the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’. The decision aims to formalise respectful observance of the national song and ensure uniform practice across official functions, schools and public ceremonies. The move also reflects ongoing efforts to popularise and emphasise national symbols after debates in Parliament on the song’s historical significance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a year-long commemoration marking 150 years of Vande Mataram and the issue also became a bone of contention between the ruling government and the Congress-led opposition during the Winter Session of Parliament.
So, What Exactly Are The New Rules?
According to the new guidelines:
• All six stanzas of Vande Mataram will be performed (about 3 minutes and 10 seconds in total).
• When both the national song and Jana Gana Mana are performed at the same event, Vande Mataram must be played first.
• Everyone present must stand to attention while Vande Mataram is played or sung (with some limited exceptions).
• Schools across India are directed to include the national song in assemblies and promote respect for national symbols.
• The song is to be played at state functions, civilian award ceremonies, flag hoisting events, and during arrivals and departures of the President and Governors at formal events.
When & Where Will These Guidelines Apply?
These guidelines apply immediately at official government functions, school assemblies, and other significant public events where the national song is expected to be sung.
However, they do not apply to movie theatre screenings—audiences are not required to stand if the song is played as part of a film or documentary, where standing could disrupt viewing.
What Does “Standing Up” Mean For Citizens?
Under the new rules:
• During official ceremonies, everyone present is expected to stand respectfully when Vande Mataram is played or sung.
• This is similar to standing for the National Anthem, but the law governing Vande Mataram may differ. Currently the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act applies explicitly to the National Anthem; similar statutory protection for Vande Mataram may be considered separately.
VANDE MATARAM AND THE LATEST ROW
Vande Mataram is a patriotic poem written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the 1870s and first published in 1882 in his Bengali novel Anandamath. Its opening line means “I bow to thee, Mother”—referring to the motherland.
The song became an important symbol of Indian nationalism during the freedom struggle, often sung at Congress sessions and banned by the British colonial government because of its inspiring role in anti-colonial protests. In 1937, the Indian National Congress adopted Vande Mataram as the national song, but chose to officially use only the first two stanzas because the later verses referenced Hindu deities, which leaders feared might offend the Muslim community at the time.
In late 2025-early 2026, Vande Mataram again sparked national debate as PM Modi and ruling party leaders argued that limiting the song to only two stanzas in 1937 was a “betrayal” of the full composition and insisted that those stanzas should be restored. Opposition leaders (including Congress) have pushed back, accusing the government of rewriting history, politicising the song, and oversimplifying complex decisions involving figures like Nehru and Gandhi.
