President of India Droupadi Murmu gave her formal assent to the Vande Mataram Bill, granting the National Song the same legal protection currently available to the National Anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana.
The legislation, officially known as the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, amends the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. The amendment brings Vande Mataram under the same legal protection provided to the National Anthem.
Under the amended law, intentionally preventing the singing of the National Song or causing a disturbance during an assembly engaged in singing it will be treated as an offence.
The move gives Vande Mataram statutory protection under the national honour law, placing it on the same legal footing as the National Anthem in terms of protection against deliberate insult or disruption.
Vande Mataram has long held the status of India’s National Song and is accorded equal honour with the National Anthem.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has raised questions over the practical implications of making the full rendition of Vande Mataram mandatory at official functions.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Tharoor said the amendment was passed by Parliament without discussion and would now require the complete National Song to be sung at the beginning and end of official functions, alongside the National Anthem.
Tharoor said he respected both Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana, and that he could sing the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, but not the remaining four. He noted that the additional stanzas had not previously been required at official events.
The Congress MP also questioned how much time audiences would be expected to stand during official programmes.
According to Tharoor, Jana Gana Mana takes around 52 seconds, during which audiences are expected to stand respectfully and remain attentive. A full rendition of Vande Mataram, he said, takes about three minutes and 10 seconds.
He also referred to Tamil Nadu, where the state song is to be played before both the National Song and the National Anthem. The Tamil state song, he said, adds another two minutes to the proceedings.
“Do we really expect audiences to stand still and respectfully for six minutes before and after every function, a total of 12 extra minutes?” Tharoor asked.
He further questioned whether respect and patience could be created through legislation. He argued that an attempt to encourage greater respect for the National Song could, in practice, end up having the opposite effect.
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on July 24. The legislation seeks to give Vande Mataram the same legal protection as the National Anthem under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
The Bill was passed during the Monsoon Session, with the Rajya Sabha clearing it on July 29 and the Lok Sabha passing it on July 30. Under the legislation, deliberately preventing the singing of the National Song or disrupting an assembly engaged in singing it would be punishable under the law.
