New Delhi, October 27 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine fresh petitions challenging the law mandating the singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, issuing notices to the Centre and other concerned parties.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana issued the notices on petitions filed by Bhimrao Duryodhan Borkar and former IAS officer Balakrishnan Sathyabhama Mavoji.
The court tagged the petitions with similar pending matters and scheduled the next hearing for November 30.
In his petition, Borkar challenged the Ministry of Home Affairs’ orders dated January 28 and July 9, 2026, arguing that they altered the long-standing practice of singing a two-stanza version of the national song by prescribing its complete six-stanza version.
The petitioner alleged that the expanded version contains religious references that raise concerns about constitutional principles, secularism and the rights of religious minorities. He contended that the government orders effectively replaced the previously followed version with a different one.
Mavoji, in her petition, argued that prescribing the six-stanza version in this manner raised concerns about the secular character of the Indian state.
The latest petitions come amid an ongoing legal challenge to the government’s directions on Vande Mataram.
On September 22, the Supreme Court, while hearing a petition filed by Carnatic vocalist T. M. Krishna, had asked the Centre to consider the constitutional protection available to individuals who decline to sing on grounds of conscience.
Krishna’s petition challenges the requirement to sing all six stanzas, arguing that the final four verses conflict with the secular character of the Constitution.
During the earlier hearing, the bench referred to the Supreme Court’s 1986 judgment in Bijoe Emmanuel vs State of Kerala, which protected schoolchildren who respectfully declined to sing the national anthem because of their conscientious beliefs.
The court indicated that the principles established in that judgment should guide consideration of the amended provisions.
The matter will now be taken up on November 30, when the court is expected to consider the fresh petitions alongside related challenges.
