Our Bureau
New Delhi
The Union government has issued fresh protocol rules making the full six‑stanza version of Vande Mataram mandatory at a wide range of official events, and stipulating that it must be sung or played before the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
In an order issued by the Union Home Ministry, the government has defined an “official version” of the national song as a three‑minute‑10‑second rendition of all six stanzas, to be followed uniformly across government functions, school assemblies, and public events. The guidelines also state that whenever Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana are performed together, the national song will precede the national anthem, and the audience must stand in attention throughout.
Previously, only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram were used in official settings, while the remaining four, containing more explicitly devotional references, were generally omitted. The new rules categorise occasions into three tiers: events where the song “shall” be played, where it “shall” be played and sung, and where it “may” be sung or played, including in schools, government offices, and public gatherings.
The move aligns with the Centre’s year‑long push to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, including a marathon parliamentary debate last December and a Republic Day parade themed “Swatantrata Ka Mantra, Vande Mataram.”
