The West Bengal government on Thursday directed all State-run and aided schools to mandatorily include the singing of Vande Mataram during morning assemblies with immediate effect.
According to an official communication issued by the School Education Department, “It is hereby ordered that in supersession of all previous orders and practices, signing of Vande Mataram during assembly prayers, before the commencement of classes, is hereby made mandatory in all schools under the School Education Department across the state of West Bengal, with immediate effect.”
Talking to mediapersons at the Assembly, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said, “From next Monday, Vande Mataram will be introduced as the prayer song in all schools across the State. I will go to Nabanna today and inform them.”
The move from the new BJP government in the State came shortly after the Union government initiated steps to strengthen provisions related to respect for national symbols, including a proposed amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, making obstruction to the singing of Vande Mataram a punishable offence.
The decision marks a major cultural and administrative shift in West Bengal’s education system after the political transition in government. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was sworn in as the Chief Minister last week, marking the formation of the first saffron party-led government in the State after the party recorded a landslide victory in the Assembly elections.
Notably, during the previous Trinamool Congress government, the secondary education board in November last year had asked all aided and sponsored schools to compulsorily include the State song, “Banglar Mati Banglar Jol”, in the morning assembly for Classes IV to X.
The song was composed by Rabindranath Tagore in 1905 to protest against the partition of the then-undivided Bengal by Lord Curzon.
Published on May 14, 2026