The 80th Independence Day celebrations this year will witness the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ being sung from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the first time. According to the official announcement, the song will be played after Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the ramparts, marking a change in the sequence of the ceremony.
The celebrations will also mark 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, with the iconic patriotic song set to take centre stage during the Independence Day ceremony.
According to Defence Secretary RK Singh, "This is the first time we are doing it with that sequence. The sequence is that he (Prime Minister Modi) arrives on the rampart, then the national song is played and everybody keeps standing. Thereafter, he unfurls the flag, and the national anthem is played."
Under the revised sequence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will first arrive at the Red Fort, after which the national song will be presented. He will then unfurl the national flag, followed by the playing of the national anthem.
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In another first, the Defence Ministry has included the complete lyrics of ‘Vande Mataram’ on the invitation cards for this year’s Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. The cards carry all six stanzas of the national song.
Senior ministers, top military officials, bureaucrats, diplomats, students and distinguished achievers from various fields are among those invited to attend the annual celebrations at the Red Fort.
The development comes days after Parliament cleared the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which accords the national song the same legal status as the national anthem. Under the amended law, insulting or disrupting the rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ is now a punishable offence, carrying a prison term of up to three years, a fine, or both. Previously, the legislation extended such protection only to the national flag, the national anthem and the Constitution.
The inclusion of ‘Vande Mataram’ in the Red Fort ceremony carries historical significance. It has been written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, which later became an important symbol of India’s freedom struggle and inspired generations of Indians during the movement against British rule.
‘Vande Mataram’ was first published in Chattopadhyay’s novel Anandamath in 1882. Its opening lines were later adopted as India’s national song.
The 80th Independence Day celebrations will focus on ‘Yuva Shakti’ (youth power), highlighting the achievements, aspirations and contributions of students and young citizens.