The 'Vande Mataram Amendment Bill' was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on July 29 and in the Lok Sabha on July 30.
Today, President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to this bill.
However, Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor has posted on his X page criticizing that this amendment bill was passed without any debate.
"The President has given assent to the Vande Mataram amendment passed in Parliament without any debate.

Accordingly, at the beginning and end of any government function, the national song should be sung in full along with the national anthem.
As someone who deeply respects both songs, and who knows how to sing the full national anthem as well as the first two stanzas of the national song (I do not know the other four stanzas, since there has never been any need to know them so far), I would like to point out one practical problem that our ardent supporters have failed to notice. It is human nature.
When the "Jana Gana Mana" national anthem is played, people are required to stand respectfully and pay attention for only a reasonable 52 seconds.
But the national song takes 3 minutes and 10 seconds to be sung in full.
Now Tamil Nadu has decided that the Tamil Thai Vazhthu will be sung for an additional 2 minutes before these two.
Do we really expect people to stand respectfully and silently in one place for a total of 6 minutes at the beginning and end of every ceremony—that is, an additional 12 minutes?
Can respect and patience be imposed by law?
I fear that this bill’s aim of creating greater respect for the national anthem will not be achieved; instead, it will have the opposite effect."
The President has assented to the #VandeMataram Amendment, passed without discussion in Parliament, which requires the singing of the National Song in full at the start and ending of any official function, in addition to the National Anthem.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 11, 2026
As one who greatly respects both,…
