The West Bengal government has made the singing of Vande Mataram compulsory during morning assemblies in all state-run schools, aided institutions and recognised madrassas across the state, officials said on Thursday.
According to a notice issued recently by the state school education department, all schools have been instructed to ensure that the national song is sung daily before the start of classes. The order stated that the move should be implemented with immediate effect and followed uniformly by students in every school.
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“The singing of Vande Mataram during morning assembly prayers prior to the start of classes should be made mandatory so that Vande Mataram is sung by all students in all schools in the state with immediate effect,” the notice read.
The decision comes months after the Union home ministry, in January, directed institutions to commemorate 150 years of the national song by encouraging its singing at public events and educational institutions.
Earlier, schools in West Bengal used to sing “Banglar mati Banglar jal” during morning assemblies as mandated by the previous state government. However, several school authorities said the latest directive did not clearly specify whether the state song would continue alongside Vande Mataram or be replaced entirely.
The development has sparked discussion among school administrators regarding how the new instruction will be incorporated into existing assembly routines.
