Parliament has passed a bill that places Vande Mataram, the national song, on the same statutory footing as the National Anthem in terms of legal protection from insult or disrespect.
This move is significant as it elevates the legal status of a symbol long associated with the freedom struggle, aligning its protection with that already available to the National Anthem under existing law.
For exam purposes, this development is relevant to national symbols, their constitutional and legal status, and debates around national identity, though Vande Mataram itself finds no explicit mention in the Constitution unlike the National Anthem and National Flag.