Centre Moves to Grant Vande Mataram Same Legal Protection as National Anthem
Centre Moves to Grant Vande Mataram Same Legal Protection as National Anthem
New Delhi, July 17: The Central Government is set to introduce the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, seeking to extend legal protection to Vande Mataram, India's National Song, on par with the National Anthem.
If the proposed legislation is passed by Parliament and receives the President's assent, intentionally insulting or deliberately disrupting the singing of Vande Mataram could become a punishable offence carrying up to three years' imprisonment, a fine, or both.
Currently, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 protects the National Anthem, the National Flag, and the Constitution of India. The amendment seeks to include Vande Mataram within the same legal framework.
The move is part of the Centre's broader initiative to commemorate 150 years of Vande Mataram. Written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and published in Anandamath in 1882, the song was adopted as India's National Song on January 24, 1950. Only its first two stanzas hold official status.
The proposed amendment does not make singing Vande Mataram mandatory. Instead, it focuses solely on penalising deliberate acts of insult or obstruction during its rendition. The Bill is expected to be debated during the Monsoon Session beginning July 20.
[Vande Mataram Bill 2026, Amit Shah, National Song, Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, Parliament Monsoon Session, Vande Mataram legal protection]
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