Singing All Stanzas Of 'Vande Mataram' In Schools Not Made Mandatory: Karnataka High Court Dismisses PIL Against MHA Circular

The Karnataka High Court today refused to entertain a PIL challenging the Ministry of Home Affairs' circular advising singing of all six stanzas of the national song 'Vande Mataram' in all schools.

The division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakru and Justice C.M Poonacha noted that the MHA circular mentions "may" and is thus, not mandatory.

"....The petitioner claims that the same violates the secular basic structure of the constitution.The national song is not covered under any statutory framework. ASG points out that MHA order mention 'may' and it is not mandatory...," it observed.

The plea filed by Somashekar Rajavamshi, a lawyer by profession, challenged the constitutional validity of the protocol titled 'Orders Relating to the National Song of India', published on the official website of the Ministry of Home Affairs in February.

He contended that Stanza 5 of the song invokes the Hindu deities such as Durga, Vani (Saraswati) and Kamala (Lakshmi) and thus sought to limit the official version to the first two stanzas, in order to preserve the 'secular fabric of the Constitution'.

However, the Additional Solicitor General, appearing for the Ministry submitted that the advisory was only discretionary in nature and schools were not mandated to make their students sing the national song at the start of each day.

Following this, the Court noted that there is no penal consequence prescribed for not singing the song. It added that the petitioner's apprehensions regarding social discrimination against those who refused to sing it were "vague." It thus dismissed the plea, recording that it was "premature."

"The word 'may' is used. There are no penal or adverse consequences. Nobody has asked that you do it in your academy," CJI said orally.

Last month, the Supreme Court had also refused to entertain a similar petition, noting that the signing of Vande Mataram has not been made compulsory.

Case Title: Somashehar Rajavamshi V. Union Of India And Others

Case No: WP 5925/2026