New MHA Protocol on Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana | 12 Feb 2026

Source: TH 

Why in News?

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a fresh set of instructions to States and government bodies mandating that the National Song, Vande Mataram, must be played or sung before the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, when both are part of an event.

What is the New Protocol Regarding the National Song and Anthem? 

• Sequence of Play: When both the National Song and the National Anthem are played at the same event, Vande Mataram (National Song) must be played/sung first, followed by Jana Gana Mana (National Anthem). 
  • This establishes a clear order of precedence for official ceremonies. 
• Mandatory Respect:  The audience must stand to attention whenever the official version of the National Song (approximately 3.10 minutes long) is sung or played. 
  • If the National Song is played as part of a newsreel, documentary, or film, the audience is not expected to stand. Standing during a screening would interrupt the exhibition and create disorder/confusion rather than adding dignity. 
• Occasions for Playing: The National Song is now mandated for specific high-level official functions: 
  • Presidential/Gubernatorial Events: On the arrival and departure of the President or Governor/Lieutenant Governor at formal State functions. 
  • Broadcasts: Immediately before and after the President addresses the nation on All India Radio or TV. 
  • Flag Ceremonies: When the National Flag is brought on parade. 
  • Cultural Events: On the unfurling of the National Flag at cultural or ceremonial functions (other than parades). 
• Musical & Band Protocol: When played by a band, the National Song must be preceded by a roll of drums to alert the audience. 
• Instructions for Schools: The guidelines state that the day's work in all schools may begin with community singing of the National Song. 
  • School authorities are directed to make adequate provisions to popularize the singing of the National Song and Anthem to foster respect for national symbols. 
  • The new protocol connects with constitutional values under Article 51A(a) (Fundamental Duty to respect national symbols).

What are the Key Facts About Vande Mataram?

• Origin & Composition: Vande Mataram (also pronounced Bande Mataram), composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, was first published in Bangadarshan in 1875 and later included in Anandamath (1882). 
  • It is set to music by Rabindranath Tagore, and it emerged as a powerful symbol of India’s cultural and political identity, embodying unity, sacrifice, and devotion. 
• National Status: On 24th January 1950, Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, announced that while Jana Gana Mana would be the  National Anthem, Vande Mataram, for its key role in the freedom movement, would be honoured equally as the National Song.  
  • India’s Constitution does not explicitly mention a national song. However, Article 51A(a) asks citizens to respect the Constitution, National Flag and National Anthem. 
• Role in Freedom Movement: 
  • Adoption by Congress: In 1896, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram at the Kolkata session of the Indian National Congress. 
    • At the Varanasi session of the Indian National Congress (1905), the song 'Vande Mataram' was adopted for all-India occasions. 
  • Mass Mobilisation & Press: Bande Mataram Sampradaya (1905) formed in North Calcutta to promote devotion to the motherland. 
    • English daily Bande Mataram launched in 1906 under Bipin Chandra Pal, later joined by Sri Aurobindo. It propagated ideas of Swadeshi, unity, and resistance. 
  • Anti-Partition & Student Movements: Vande Mataram was first used as a political slogan on 7th August 1905 during student processions at Calcutta Town Hall, becoming the rallying cry of the Swadeshi and anti-partition movement. 
    • Its mass appeal prompted Lord Curzon to order arrests for singing it. 
  • Influence on Indian Revolutionaries Abroad: 
    • In 1907, Madam Bhikaji Cama raised the tricolour flag for the first-time outside India in Stuttgart, Germany. The words Vande Mataram were written on the flag.  
    • In August 1909, when Madan Lal Dhignra was hanged in England, his last words before he went to the gallows were “Bande Mataram.”  
    • In October 1912, Gopal Krishna Gokhale was welcomed in Cape Town with a grand procession chanting “Vande Mataram.”

What are the Key Facts About Jana Gana Mana (National Anthem)? 

• Origin & Composition: Written and composed by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1911. 
  • It is the first stanza of the parent poem "Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata", which consists of 5 stanzas in total. 
  • Jana Gana Mana is originally written in Bengali (specifically Sadhu Bhasha, a Sanskritized dialect). 
• First Rendition: It was first sung publicly on 27th December 1911, at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. 
• Official Adoption: It was adopted as the National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly of India on 24thJanuary 1950. 
• Translation: Rabindranath Tagore translated the song into English while at Madanapalle (Andhra Pradesh). The translation is titled "The Morning Song of India". 
  • A Hindustani version titled Subh Sukh Chain was prepared under Subhas Chandra Bose for the Indian National Army. 
• No "Sindh" Modification: In 2005, a petition to replace the word "Sindh" (now in Pakistan) with "Kashmir" was rejected by the Supreme Court.  
  • The court ruled that "Sindh" in the anthem refers to the culture/community and not just the geographical region.