No Mandatory Rule for National Song in Schools
The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging a 2026 advisory issued by the Union Government encouraging schools to perform all six stanzas of Vande Mataram. The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Poonacha refused to entertain the plea, observing that the advisory issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is recommendatory and not mandatory. The petition argued that while traditionally only the first two stanzas of the national song are sung, the additional verses contain references to Hindu deities like Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati, which could violate the secular framework of education under Articles 25–28 of the Constitution if performed in state-funded schools.
However, the High Court clarified that the advisory uses the word “may,” giving schools complete discretion to adopt or reject the extended version, and emphasized that Vande Mataram is not governed by any statutory framework unlike the national anthem Jana Gana Mana. The court also noted that a similar challenge had already been dismissed by the Supreme Court of India, reinforcing the principle that voluntary patriotic expressions should not be subject to judicial interference. Concluding that there is no legal compulsion or constitutional violation, the court dismissed the PIL, underlining that participation in singing the extended version of the national song remains entirely optional.