- Vande Mataram Bill passed by both Houses of Parliament.
- National Song gets same legal protection as National Anthem.
- Insulting Vande Mataram punishable by up to three years imprisonment.
Vande Mataram Bill: After passing in the Rajya Sabha, the Vande Mataram Bill, originally known as the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was also cleared in the Lok Sabha amid the Opposition's uproar. The Upper House approved the Vande Mataram Bill on Wednesday. After passing both Houses, the bill will now be sent for the President's assent.
How Many Years' Imprisonment Will Be Imposed For Insulting Vande Mataram?
With the Vande Mataram Bill becoming law, the national song will now receive the same legal protection as the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. With the implementation of the new law, insulting Vande Mataram will be considered a crime. Obstructing the singing of Vande Mataram or preventing someone from singing Vande Mataram will also be a crime. Insulting Vande Mataram can result in up to three years in prison, a fine, or both. The same punishment applies to insulting the national anthem.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai introduced this bill in the Rajya Sabha. According to the government, the law is needed to protect the dignity of the national anthem. This song played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.
The National Song Will Be Played First At Official Functions
The bill also calls for the singing of all six verses of the national anthem. This step follows a Home Ministry order directing states to play or sing the national song at official functions, especially those where the national anthem is played.
The order states, "When the national song and the national anthem are sung or played, the national song shall be sung or played first and should be sung while standing at attention." The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 amends Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
Why Was The Amendment Proposed?
According to the government, the 1971 Act safeguards the National Anthem by making it a criminal offence to deliberately stop its singing or to cause disruptions to any group engaged in singing it. It recalls the Constituent Assembly meeting held on January 24, 1950. At the meeting, its then President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, highlighted the historic role of Vande Mataram in India’s freedom struggle. He stated that it should be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and accorded equal status.
However, there was no specific legal provision extending similar protection to the National Song. The Bill addressed this gap. It proposed to include Vande Mataram within Section 3 of the 1971 Act.
Major Provisions Of The 2026 Bill
Amendment of Section 3: Clause 2 substitutes the existing Section 3 with a provision covering both the National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana) and the National Song (Vande Mataram).
Conduct covered: (a) prevents the singing of the National Anthem or the National Song; or (b) causes disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing.
Clause 1 provides that the law may be called the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026.
Repeat offenders who intentionally disrupt the singing of Vande Mataram will now also face this mandatory minimum one-year prison sentence.