National Song and National Anthem: Here's What the Centre Has Directed States For Official Events

In the latest development, the Government of India has asked the States and the Union Territories to ensure that the national song and the national anthem are made in the prescribed order, text and pronunciation at the official events. This order comes aiming at removing variation in ceremonies where state songs are also sung and played parallely with Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana.

In the official letter to chief secretaries and Union Territories administrators on Thursday, the MHA said that the National Song must be sung or played before the National Anthem whenever both are the part of the event.

Centre clarifies order for national song and anthem

According to the Ministry, a state song cannot be placed between the national song and the national anthem in the case when all the three are included. Which means that the State song will have to be rendered before the national song and the national anthem. Hence the sequence would be - state song > national song > national anthem.

This order is meant to maintain uniformity across the nation. The letter seeks "strict compliance" with the prescribed format, indicating that the Centre wants the protocol to be followed not only in government offices but also in associated public bodies.

This order also draws attention to the need for correct script, diction and pronunciation. It further added that the authorised version is available on the portal.

National song, national anthem and ceremonial practice

The National anthem- Jana Gana Mana is governed by established rules and is of 52 seconds. Vande Mataram has the status of the national song and holds a central place in India's freedom movement and public life. The letter's key message is that the national song and the anthem should be considered as a pair. Several states own a state song - Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, etc.

For event organisers, the practical change will be in planning scripts and running orders. If a programme includes all three songs, the state song should be scheduled before Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana. The national anthem should remain after the national song, not separated by any other song or performance.

The directive underlines a wider point about national symbols: their use in public ceremonies is expected to follow a standard protocol. With the Centre now reiterating the order and pronunciation requirements, states and institutions will be expected to align their official programmes accordingly.