India revises Vande Mataram guidelines: ‘Sing before national anthem, stand while played’

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has updated the guidelines for the national song Vande Mataram following days of political showdown over the last four stanzas of the song that were removed by the Congress government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Jawaharlal Nehru dropped the four stanzas of the song written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee to maintain its “secular” nature. PM Modi’s comments came as he addressed the Parliament in December during a special session to commemorate 150 years of Vande Mataram.

What do the new guidelines say?

As per the new guidelines dated February 6, 2026, Vande Mataram will now be sung before the national anthem, a break from an years long practice. It also mandates that the song will be sung in all official functions in its entirety, including the last four stanzas.

Chatterjee’s original composition of the song, which has six stanzas, will now be extended to 3 minutes and 10 seconds. Apart from this, the audience present during the playing of Vande Mataram will be required to stand in an attention pose. However, this rule will not be applied when the song plays as part of a movie in cinema halls, as it might hinder the viewing experience.

In accordance with the MHA’s directive, the national song will be played at all civil investiture ceremonies, official state functions, and government-organised events attended by the President of India. It will be played both when the President arrives at and departs from these events.

Vande Mataram shall be honoured by the sound of drumrolls before it is played or sung at official events. And during marching, the song will be preceded by seven steps, building up to it.

Politics over Vande Mataram

A row erupted after PM Modi’s Parliament address, where he condemned Nehru’s decision not to reaffirm his and the Indian National Congress (INC) Party’s commitment to Vande Mataram and began questioning the song itself.

He recalled that just five days after Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s opposition, on 20 October 1937, Nehru wrote a letter to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, agreeing with the Muslim League’s sentiment and stating that the ‘Anand Math’ background of Vande Mataram could irritate Muslims. The Prime Minister quoted Nehru’s words: “I have read the background of the Vande Mataram song. I feel that this background may provoke Muslims.”