New Delhi, July 29 -- The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, paving the way for granting the national song Vande Mataram the same statutory protection currently enjoyed by the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
The legislation was passed by a voice vote amid noisy Opposition protests, which were largely centred on separate political issues, including the controversy over examination paper leaks.
The Bill, introduced in the Rajya Sabha on July 24, seeks to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which currently penalises insults to the National Flag, the Constitution of India and the National A...