President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday gave her assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, bringing into law amendments that extend statutory protection to Vande Mataram, India’s National Song. The legislation amends the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and places the National Song under the same legal framework that already protects the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, against certain forms of deliberate disruption and insult.
Before the amendment, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, specifically prohibited intentionally preventing the singing of the National Anthem or causing disturbance to an assembly engaged in such singing. The law prescribed imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both for such offences. In cases of a second or subsequent conviction, the earlier provisions prescribed a minimum sentence of one year.
The legislation also refers to the historical significance of Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. The song became closely associated with India’s freedom movement and was used as a symbol of resistance during the struggle against British rule.
The move comes amid a broader emphasis by the Union government on protocols governing the National Song. The Union Home Ministry issued an order in January outlining procedures for the singing or playing of Vande Mataram at official functions and other occasions.
The Home Ministry's guidelines cover occasions including the arrival of the President, the unfurling of the national flag and official speeches by governors. They also state that assemblies where the National Song is being sung should stand at attention.
The amended law does not change the constitutional or official distinction between the National Anthem and National Song. Instead, it provides Vande Mataram with statutory protection under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act for specified acts of deliberate disruption. The legislation consequently creates a legal framework for addressing conduct that intentionally prevents or disturbs the singing of the National Song.
