Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (Governance)
Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (Governance)
Why In News:
Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, extending to Vande Mataram the same legal protection currently available to the National Flag, the Constitution, and the National Anthem.
Source: The Indian Express, Page 10, 31 Jul 2026 – 'On Vande Mataram, a law in search of a crime'
Key Provisions of the Amendment Bill
Equal legal protection: Extends the same legal protection as the National Flag, Constitution and National Anthem to Vande Mataram.
Punishment: Deliberate insult to, or intentional obstruction of, the rendition of Vande Mataram is now punishable with up to 3 years' imprisonment, a fine, or both.
Amends the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
About Vande Mataram
Composition: Vande Mataram (meaning “Mother, I bow to thee”) was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
Publication: It was first published in the journal Bangadarshan on 7 November 1875, and later included in his novel Anandamath (1882).
Musical Rendering:Rabindranath Tagore set the song to music and performed it for the first time at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta.
Role in Freedom Struggle: The song evolved into a powerful nationalist symbol, first raised as a political slogan on 7 August 1905 during the Swadeshi Movement.
Post-Independence Status: On 24 January 1950, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of the Constituent Assembly, declared that Vande Mataram should be honoured on par with “Jana Gana Mana” and accorded equal respect and status.
Key Facts for Prelims
National Anthem: Jana Gana Mana was composed in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore on 11 December 1911.
It formed part of a five-stanza Brahmo hymn titled “Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata.”
The song was first performed on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress, sung by Sarala Devi Chowdhurani (Tagore’s niece) along with other students.
It was adopted as India’s National Anthem on 24 January 1950 by the Constituent Assembly.
The anthem is protected under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which mandates respectful conduct during its performance.
Flag Code of India, 2002: It permits unrestricted display of the National Flag, provided its honour and dignity are maintained.
It is divided into three parts:
General description of the Tricolour
Guidelines for display by the public, private organisations, and educational institutions
Rules for display by governments and official bodies
The Tricolour cannot be used for commercial purposes or dipped in salute to any person or object.
It must not be used as decoration, including as a festoon or for ornamental purposes.
For official use, only flags that meet Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications and bear the BIS mark are permitted.