Politics
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President assents to Vande Mataram honour Bill
The Hindu··12 Aug
President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Amendment Bill, 2026, criminalising intentional disruption or prevention of singing the National Song Vande Mataram. The law gives Vande Mataram the same legal protection as the National Anthem. The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on July 30 after the Rajya Sabha cleared it a day earlier.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Organisers of official functions should note intentional disruption of Vande Mataram singing now carries criminal consequences similar to Anthem rules.
- Citizens attending ceremonies can expect clearer legal backing for uninterrupted National Song renditions.
- State event planners, especially where a state song is also used, may need longer standing protocols.
What's Happening
- President Murmu assented to the 2026 amendment criminalising intentional insult or disruption of Vande Mataram.
- Parliament had cleared the Bill at the end of July, with the Lok Sabha passing it on July 30.
- The change places the National Song on the same legal footing as the National Anthem.
Equal Legal Honour Meets Practical Ceremony Time
- The parent Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act already covered intentional interference with Anthem singing.
- Tharoor contrasted the Anthem 52-second length with a full Vande Mataram performance of about three minutes and ten seconds.
- Tamil Nadu practice of adding a State Song before both national pieces was cited in the duration debate.
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