‘All 6 stanzas of Vande Mataram must before national anthem’

NEW DELHI: In a move that blends protocol with symbolism, the Union Home Ministry has issued detailed new guidelines requiring that all six stanzas of the national song Vande Mataram be sung or played at specified official functions, restoring a fuller rendition of a composition that has been deeply woven into India’s history and freedom movement. The order, dated February 6, 2026, designates a 3-minute-and-10-second version as the official format of the song written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875, including the last four stanzas that were omitted during the Jawaharlal Nehru government to preserve what it described as the song’s secular appeal. The directive comes as the country marks the 150th anniversary of the song’s creation.

Under the new rules, Vande Mataram must be played whenever the national flag is brought to a parade, at all civilian award and honour ceremonies, and at official state events attended by the President of India, both at arrival and departure. The song will also precede and follow the President’s address to the nation on public broadcasters such as Akashwani and Doordarshan. At the state level, it must be played when governors or lieutenant governors arrive at or leave official functions.

The ministry has also set ceremonial details. Before a band plays the national song, a drumroll will be sounded using instruments such as the mridangam or a trumpet. In marching drills, seven steps will precede the rendition. When both Vande Mataram and the national anthem Jana Gana Mana are played together, the national song will be performed first, ahead of the 52-second anthem.

Standing in attention during Vande Mataram will be mandatory at official events. However, the ministry clarified that this will not apply in cinema halls when the song is part of a film or newsreel, noting that requiring audiences to stand could disrupt viewing and lead to disorder.

Beyond formal ceremonies, the order encourages a wider cultural presence for the song. Vande Mataram must be sung at all cultural events where the national flag is hoisted and may also be sung during the President’s arrival or departure at non-state public functions. Informal gatherings attended by ministers may include group renditions as well.

In a measure affecting millions of students, all schools have been directed to include group singing of Vande Mataram in their morning assemblies.

Officials described the guidelines as an effort to bring consistency and respect to how the national song is observed across the country. The announcement follows intense discussions in Parliament during the Winter Session over the song’s status and history.

The government’s decision is part of a broader year-long commemoration launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 7, 2025, when he released a special stamp and coin to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram. The celebrations will continue until November 7, 2026, honouring a song that first echoed on Akshaya Navami in 1875 and later became a rallying cry of India’s independence struggle.