New Delhi, Feb 11 (UNI) The union Ministry of Home Affairs has issued its first formal guidelines on the rendition of the national song Vande Mataram, stating that it must be performed in its entirety during official events where it is included.
The advisory, issued on January 28, also specifies that when both Vande Mataram and the national anthem Jana Gana Mana are scheduled to be presented together, the national song should be rendered first.
According to the directions, all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, are to be sung in full before the anthem on such occasions. The ministry said the protocol aims to bring uniformity to how the national song is observed at government functions.
The ministry noted that the full official rendition of the song has a duration of approximately three minutes and ten seconds.
Under the order, the official version of Vande Mataram is to be played at key state and ceremonial functions. These include civil investiture ceremonies, the arrival and departure of the President at formal State functions, and immediately before and after Presidential addresses to the nation broadcast on radio and television. Similar honours are to be accorded during formal functions attended by Governors or Lieutenant Governors within their respective jurisdictions, as well as when the National Flag is brought on parade. The Centre may also authorise its playing on other occasions through specific orders.
The protocol further specifies ceremonial procedures when the National Song is performed by a band. A roll of drums is to precede the rendition to alert the audience, unless another musical cue such as a fanfare is used. The drum roll is to follow a prescribed pattern and pause before the song begins.
The MHA has also outlined norms for mass singing of the National Song. It may be rendered collectively during the unfurling of the National Flag at cultural or ceremonial functions other than parades, with arrangements such as choirs and public address systems to enable coordinated participation.
Mass singing is also recommended at certain public functions attended by the President, excluding formal State events, as well as on significant occasions attended by union or State Ministers.
Schools have been encouraged to incorporate community singing of the National Song at the start of the day, alongside efforts to promote respect for the National Anthem and the National Flag among students.
As per the general instructions, members of the audience are expected to stand at attention whenever the official version of the National Song is sung or played, except when it forms part of a newsreel or documentary where standing could disrupt proceedings. The ministry has also clarified that when both the National Song and the National Anthem are performed at the same event, Vande Mataram should be presented first.
