'Vande Mataram before Jana Gana Mana', citizens must stand: MHA issues new rules for national song

The Home Ministry has introduced comprehensive guidelines to standardize the protocol for India’s National Song, 'Vande Mataram'. Under the new rules, the citizens is now required to stand to attention whenever the official version of the song is sung or played at public or official events. However, the ministry provided a specific exemption for cinema halls, noting that audiences are not expected to stand if the song is featured within a newsreel, documentary, or film, as doing so could cause disorder during the screening.

A significant shift in the ceremonial hierarchy has also been established: whenever both the National Song and the National Anthem are performed together, 'Vande Mataram' must be rendered first. Furthermore, the government has moved to restore the song's original form by mandating the playing of all six stanzas written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. This includes the four stanzas that were famously removed during a 1937 Congress session, a decision that has recently been a point of intense parliamentary debate.

The guidelines expand the song's presence in official state functions, mandating its performance at civilian award ceremonies like the Padma Awards. It will also be played during the arrival and departure of the President at formal events. To ensure a uniform and dignified rendition, the ministry specified that the official version should be accompanied by mass singing, encouraging a collective salute to the motherland while maintaining proper decorum.

Educational institutions have also been given a key role in this initiative. School authorities are instructed to incorporate the collective singing of 'Vande Mataram' into their daily programs to popularize the song and the National Anthem among students. By fostering respect for national symbols from a young age, the government aims to strengthen national identity and ensure that the historic legacy of the song, which served as a rallying cry during the freedom struggle, is preserved with full ceremonial parity.