Bill criminalising insult to Vande Mataram introduced in House, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha.
• The Bill aims to criminalize insults to the National Song Vande Mataram, making it punishable with imprisonment up to five years.
• It seeks to accord Vande Mataram the same statutory protection as the National Anthem.
• The introduction occurred amidst the Monsoon Session, which faced disruptions over the NEET paper leak and demands for the Union Education Minister's resignation.

Detailed Insights:

• The proposed Bill amends the existing Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
• It specifically targets intentionally preventing the singing of the National Song or causing disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing.
• Opposition MPs argued that the Constituent Assembly consciously refrained from placing the National Song and National Anthem on the same constitutional footing.
• The Monsoon Session saw a washout in its first week due to protests demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.
• Proceedings in both Houses began with paying homage to members of the Armed Forces killed during the Kargil War, ahead of Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Vande Mataram: The National Song of India, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, which played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.
• National Anthem: "Jana Gana Mana," composed by Rabindranath Tagore, officially adopted as India's National Anthem.
• Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971: An Act of the Parliament of India that prohibits desecration of or insult to the country's national symbols, including the National Flag and the Constitution.
• Constituent Assembly: The body formed to draft the Constitution of India, which functioned from 1946 to 1949.