CURRENT AFFAIRS | 25 JULY 2026
On 24 July 2026, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, introduced The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill seeks to give the national song Vande Mataram the same statutory shield that the National Anthem already enjoys — turning intentional disruption of its singing into a punishable offence.
What the Bill proposes
The Bill amends the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. It would make it a criminal offence to intentionally prevent or disturb the singing of Vande Mataram, punishable with imprisonment (the source reports a jail term of up to three years), a fine, or both — mirroring the protection presently given to Jana Gana Mana. The government has framed this as closing a ‘legislative gap’, citing Dr Rajendra Prasad’s 1950 statement that the National Song shall be honoured equally with the National Anthem.
Opposition members flagged constitutional concerns. CPI(M) MP John Brittas argued that the Constituent Assembly deliberately did not place the National Song and the National Anthem on the same constitutional footing, and that patriotism should be voluntary rather than compelled by criminal sanction.
Constitutional Framework
Art 51A(a) — Fundamental Duty to abide by the Constitution and respect the National Flag and National Anthem (note: it does not expressly name the National Song).
Art 19(1)(a) — Freedom of speech and expression, which includes the right to remain silent.
Art 19(2) — Permits only ‘reasonable restrictions’ on specified grounds such as public order and decency.
The CLAT Angle
This is textbook legal-reasoning territory: it pits a Fundamental Duty (respect for national symbols) against a Fundamental Right (free expression and the right to silence). Expect passage-based questions asking you to apply the Bijoe Emmanuel principle — that respectful non-participation is protected — to fresh fact situations, and polity questions on the difference between the National Anthem and the National Song.
Key Facts
| Bill | Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 |
| Introduced by | MoS Home Affairs Nityanand Rai |
| House / Date | Rajya Sabha, 24 July 2026 |
| Parent Act | Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 |
| Effect | Extends National Anthem-style protection to Vande Mataram |
| Composer of the song | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (in Anandamath) |
Memory Hook
“SONG gets the ANTHEM’s armour” — remember the trio B–B–S: Bijoe Emmanuel (right to stay silent), Bankim Chandra (composer), Shyam Narayan Chouksey (anthem in cinemas).
Why it matters
The debate revives a classic constitutional tension between enforced reverence and voluntary patriotism. However Parliament resolves it, the underlying Bijoe Emmanuel reasoning — that the Constitution protects those who respectfully decline to participate — remains a high-yield principle for CLAT legal reasoning.
Test Yourself
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
