Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:27pm on 11 Aug 2026,Tuesday India
President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday gave assent to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, making it law and criminalising intentional disruption or prevention of the singing of India’s national song, “Vande Mataram”. The amendment gives the national song legal protection similar to that already provided to the national anthem. Earlier, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act prohibited intentionally preventing the singing of the national anthem or causing disturbance to an assembly engaged in singing it. The government said the new law extends comparable protection to “Vande Mataram”, adding a fresh criminal provision concerning deliberate interference with its singing. (PC: Rashtrapati Bhavan)
