Bhubaneswar: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a directive mandating that the complete six-stanza version of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ be played or sung at official functions, laying down a standard protocol for its performance.
According to the order dated February 6, 2026, the official version will run for 3 minutes and 10 seconds and must be observed with due decorum at events such as national flag parades, civilian award ceremonies, and government functions attended by the President of India. The song will be played on the President’s arrival and departure from such events.
The directive also states that ‘Vande Mataram’ should be sung at cultural programmes, flag-hoisting ceremonies, and morning school assemblies. Audiences are required to stand at attention while the song is played or sung, though this rule will not apply in cinema halls when the song appears as part of a film or newsreel to avoid disruption.
The MHA order coincides with the 150th anniversary of the composition of ‘Vande Mataram’ by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and seeks to formalise its usage across official platforms.
The move is expected to generate political and social debate, as only the first two stanzas were widely used in official settings after Independence due to concerns over the religious imagery in the later verses.
-OdishaAge
