80th Independence Day: Defence Ministry Adds Full Vande Mataram Lyrics To Invitation Cards
News india 80th Independence Day: Defence Ministry Adds Full Vande Mataram Lyrics To Invitation Cards 80th Independence Day: Defence Ministry Adds Full Vande Mataram Lyrics
News india 80th Independence Day: Defence Ministry Adds Full Vande Mataram Lyrics To Invitation Cards 80th Independence Day: Defence Ministry Adds Full Vande Mataram Lyrics To Invitation Cards Published By, Last Updated: August 07, 2026, 15:48 IST The invitees include senior ministers, military officers, bureaucrats, diplomats, students, and distinguished achievers from across fields. Rapid Read India will celebrate its 80th Independence Day this year. The Defence Ministry has, for the first time, included the complete lyrics of Vande Mataram on invitation cards for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. The national song will be performed during the national flag-hoisting ceremony and will precede the national anthem at the 80th Independence Day celebrations. The invitation cards feature all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, Hindustan Times reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.
Independence Day Celebrations At Red Fort Senior ministers, top military officials, bureaucrats, diplomats, students and distinguished achievers from various fields are among those invited to attend the annual Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. The development comes days after Parliament cleared the Prevention of Insults to Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which accords the national song the same legal status as the national anthem. Under the amended law, insulting or disrupting the rendition of Vande Mataram is now a punishable offence, carrying a prison term of up to three years, a fine, or both. Earlier, the legislation extended protection only to the national flag, the national anthem and the Constitution. Why Did Govt Print Vande Mataram Lyrics On Invitation Cards? The changes coincide with the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. Earlier this year, the Centre also directed that all six stanzas of the national song be rendered at official events, replacing the long-standing practice of singing only the first two stanzas, which were adopted as the national song in 1950.
According to the officials cited in the report, the complete lyrics of Vande Mataram have been printed on the invitation cards to encourage attendees to sing the national song, which many are less familiar with than the national anthem. The cards also feature an illustration of Seva Teerth, home to key government offices, along with the list of Fundamental Duties. Last year’s invitations highlighted the Chenab Bridge as a symbol of a “New India." This year’s move builds on the nationwide celebrations marking 150 years of Vande Mataram. Earlier, Republic Day festivities, state and ministry tableaux, and Indian Army band performances across 18 locations were centred on the theme, including a performance in West Bengal’s Naihati, the birthplace of composer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Manisha Roy Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk.
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