VANDE MATARAM AND JANA GANA MANA

NEWS: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)à 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.

New Protocol

• When both the National Song and the National Anthem are played at the same eventà Vande Mataram (National Song) must be played/sung first, followed by Jana Gana Mana (National Anthem).
• Audience: Must stand to attention whenever the official version of the National Song (approximately 3.10 minutes long) is sung or played.
• Mandated for:
  • Presidential/Gubernatorial Events
  • Broadcasts (Immediately before and after the President addresses the nation on All India Radio or TV),
  • When the National Flag is brought on parade
  • On the unfurling of the National Flag at cultural or ceremonial functions (other than parades).
• When played by a band, the National Song must be preceded by a roll of drums to alert the audience.
• Day’s work in all schools may begin with community singing of the National Song.

Vande Mataram

• Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
• First published in Bangadarshan in 1875 and later included in Anandamath (1882).
• Set to music by Rabindranath Tagore

Jana Gana Mana (National Anthem)

• Written and composed by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1911.
• Originally written in Bengali (specifically Sadhu Bhasha, a Sanskritized dialect)
• First sung publicly on 27th December 1911, at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.
• Adopted as the National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly of India on 24thJanuary 1950.