Polity · 25 Aug 2026

Vande Mataram Amendment Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act

Assertion (A): The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026 does not, by itself, compel any citizen to sing or otherwise actively participate in the rendition of Vande Mataram.
Reason (R): Fundamental duties under Article 51A of the Constitution are non-justiciable and cannot override the fundamental rights guaranteed under Part III and the amended Section 3 penalises only intentional prevention or disruption of an ongoing rendition, not mere non-participation.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above two statements?

ABoth A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
BBoth A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
CA is true, but R is false
DA is false, but R is true
This question is based on: The Four Words the Vande Mataram Amendment Never Included
Take this in full test mode → Instructions for 25 Aug 2026
About this question

Why in news

Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 within a week in late July, with limited debate, extending anthem-level criminal protection to Vande Mataram - reviving questions about whether the new law compels participation and about the song's contentious later stanzas dropped by the 1937 Congress Working Committee.

Why for UPSC

Assertion-Reasoning is UPSC's preferred format for testing whether a candidate can distinguish a law's actual textual scope from its political framing - exactly the gap this amendment illustrates between narrow statutory language and broad public perception.

Prelims summary

The 2026 amendment penalises only disruption of Vande Mataram's rendition, not non-participation. Article 51A duties are non-justiciable and cannot override Part III rights; Bijoe Emmanuel already protects conscientious dissent. Only the first two (secular) stanzas are officially sung, per the 1937 Congress Working Committee resolution.

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