President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday gave assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, making it a law and extending legal protection to the national song Vande Mataram against intentional disruption or prevention of its singing.
The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on July 30, while the Rajya Sabha cleared it a day earlier. The amended law gives Vande Mataram the same legal protection as the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
The legislation makes intentionally preventing the singing of the national song or disrupting an assembly engaged in its singing a punishable offence. Previously, the law specifically covered only the national anthem.
The government said the amendment was necessary as there was no specific legal provision against disrupting the singing of Vande Mataram, despite its recognition as the national song.
The legislation cited a January 24, 1950, statement by Constituent Assembly president Dr Rajendra Prasad that Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and associated with India’s freedom struggle, should be honoured equally with the national anthem.
The Union Home Ministry had earlier issued protocols requiring all six stanzas of Vande Mataram to be sung first when it is performed alongside the national anthem. The song is also to precede the national anthem at specified official functions, while schools have been directed to begin the day with its community singing. (With PTI inputs)