The government's year-long commemoration of the national song's 150th anniversary is in its final phase, with a new law on the song's legal protection also in force.

BulletsIn

• The nationwide commemoration of 150 years of Vande Mataram began on November 7, 2025, and ends on November 7, 2026, with November 1 to 7 set aside as the closing phase.
• The song was composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875 and first published in the journal Bangadarshan on November 7, 1875.
• It later appeared in his novel Anandamath, published in 1882.
• Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta.
• The song became a powerful patriotic expression during the freedom struggle and is particularly associated with the Swadeshi Movement of 1905.
• On January 24, 1950, Dr Rajendra Prasad announced that Vande Mataram would be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana, which is the National Anthem.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the commemoration at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on November 7, 2025, and released a commemorative stamp and coin.
• The commemoration was planned in four phases: November 7-14, 2025; January 19-26, 2026 around Republic Day; August 7-15, 2026 with Har Ghar Tiranga; and November 1-7, 2026.
• Vande Mataram was scheduled to be sung at the Red Fort for the first time as part of the Independence Day ceremony on August 15, 2026.
• Rajya Sabha passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on July 29 and Lok Sabha passed it by voice vote on July 30, extending protection under the 1971 Act to the national song.
• Intentionally preventing the singing of Vande Mataram or disturbing an assembly singing it can draw up to three years in prison, a fine or both, with a minimum one-year term for repeat offenders.
• The Constitution does not explicitly mention a national song, so the amendment closes a gap in statutory protection compared with the National Anthem.