From now on national song, Vande Mataram, will be placed on the same footing as the national anthem, with the Union Cabinet clearing key rules that enable the move.
The change takes effect after the Union Cabinet cleared a crucial amendment to The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, on Tuesday.
This change grants ‘Vande Mataram’ the same statutory protection as the national anthem and mandates the rendition of all six stanzas of the song at government events and schools.
The official amendment will require the practice of singing only two stanzas of the national song to change; and all six stanzas will have to be sung now.
The changes further means the song will now be played at civilian award ceremonies and during the arrival and departure of the President of India. Cinema halls are also required to play the song though people are not expected to stand.
The move comes as the BJP-led NDA marks the 150th anniversary of the National Song penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
Notably, it was Himachal’s Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur, who first demanded changes to the law to grant the same status to Vande Mataram as ‘Jana Gana Mana’.
After the Cabinet nod to his demand, raised in Lok Sabha during the Budget session, Thakur said, “Today is a proud moment for every Indian who holds Vande Mataram dear."
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