President Murmu gives assent to Bill criminalising insult to Vande Mataram
Earlier, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act prohibited intentionally preventing the singing of the national anthem or causing disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing
President Droupadi Murmu granted her assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on August 11, 2026. This legislation criminalises intentional disruption or prevention of the singing of Vande Mataram, the national song, granting it the same legal protection as the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on July 30, while the Rajya Sabha had approved it the day before. With the President's approval, Vande Mataram now enjoys the same status as Jana Gana Mana, and it will be sung at the Red Fort during Independence Day functions for the first time. Prior to this amendment, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act did not provide specific legal provisions to protect the national song, leaving no specific legal recourse against those who insulted its singing.
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