India Mandates Full Vande Mataram Singing at Official Functions

President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent on August 11, 2026, to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The legislation extends the legal protections of the 1971 Act to the national song, Vande Mataram, placing it on equal legal footing with the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. Under the new law, intentionally disrupting the song or interfering with an assembly singing it is a punishable offense carrying up to three years in prison, a fine, or both.

The law codifies a January 28 order from the Union Home Ministry requiring all six stanzas of Vande Mataram to be sung at the start and end of official functions and in schools. The full version of the song lasts approximately three minutes and 10 seconds.

Opposition leaders have criticized the mandate. Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor argued that the requirement is impractical due to the song's length and questioned whether respect and patience could be legislated. DMK MP Kanimozhi characterized the move as a Hindutva agenda masquerading as nationalism. Conversely, BJP MP Sambit Patra defended the legislation, claiming that previous governments failed to accord the song proper respect.