Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has called for institutionalizing the collective singing of Vande Mataram across classrooms at Delhi University, asserting that a daily recital could ignite a deeper sense of unity and help shape a more confident, developed India.

Speaking at Ramjas College during an event marking 150 years of the national song, Pradhan said a campus-wide ritual could evolve into a “mass movement” that strengthens national consciousness among students. Vande Mataram, he noted, had once bound the country together during the freedom struggle, and its message remained central to building a “strong and prosperous India.”

Recitation as a catalyst for national spirit

Pradhan said that encouraging students to sing the full version of the song daily would carry its ideals to future generations. Calling the act “powerful and transformative,” the minister recalled singing the song alongside students at the event, describing it as a reminder of the sacrifices made during India’s independence movement.

He highlighted the historical significance of the song—written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji and first published in 1875—before it was later included in Anandamath and came to symbolise unity and patriotism during the freedom movement. In 1950, it was accorded equal status with the national anthem Jana Gana Mana by the then President of the Constituent Assembly, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

UP moves to make singing compulsory

In a parallel development, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced in Gorakhpur that Vande Mataram would soon be made compulsory in all schools and educational institutions across the state.

Addressing an ‘Ekta Yatra’ and a mass rendition event, Adityanath said the decision aims to deepen students’ emotional and cultural connection with the nation. “Every student should feel proud while singing Vande Mataram. We will introduce it as a compulsory practice in every educational institution of Uttar Pradesh,” he said, adding that the national song embodies respect and devotion to the motherland.