New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday unveiled fresh directives requiring that all six verses of Vande Mataram be performed at government programmes and in educational institutions, a departure from the long-standing practice of limiting its public rendition to the opening two stanzas.
Under the new framework, the national song must be sung in its entirety prior to the national anthem at schools, state functions and other official gatherings. Attendees are expected to stand during the performance. The instructions also extend to civilian award ceremonies and formal occasions marking the arrival and departure of the President of India.
Cinema halls have been asked to play the complete composition as well, though audiences will not be required to rise in those settings.
For decades, only the first two verses of Vande Mataram—drawn from Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s 19th-century novel Anandamath—were commonly rendered at public events. The remaining stanzas, which contain invocations associated with Goddess Durga, were historically set aside following political debates in the pre-Independence era.
Government sources have described the move as part of a broader initiative to restore what they call neglected elements of India’s cultural legacy. The announcement comes amid ongoing commemorations marking 150 years since the song’s composition on November 7, 1875.
The issue had resurfaced in November last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking on the anniversary of the song, criticised a 1937 Congress Working Committee decision that formally adopted only the first two stanzas for official use. Modi argued that the omission of later verses diluted the spirit of the original work and reflected the political climate of that period.
Referring to that resolution, he suggested that decisions taken at the time had long-term implications for national unity. During his address, the Prime Minister recited the full text of the song, including the portions historically left out of official renditions.
The 1937 resolution, passed before Independence, had limited public adoption of Vande Mataram to its opening verses amid concerns raised by some sections of society over the religious imagery in later lines.
With the revised guidelines now in place, the government’s decision is expected to generate discussion across political and social circles, particularly regarding its historical context and contemporary implications.
