MHA Issues New Vande Mataram Guidelines: Stand Up, Sing Before National Anthem

• Union Home Ministry mandates standing to attention when official Vande Mataram version is sung or played.
• National Song to be sung before the National Anthem when both are performed together.
• All six stanzas of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's Vande Mataram, including those dropped in 1937, will be played.
• A 3-minute, 10-second version of Vande Mataram mandated for official occasions, including Padma awards and presidential events.
• Schools directed to popularize National Song and Anthem, and promote respect for the National Flag among students.