Karnataka HC Declines to Entertain PIL Against ‘Vande Mataram’ Protocol in Schools
Court says MHA advisory is not mandatory; notes national song has no statutory backing and declines to examine plea citing secularism concerns.
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the Union government’s protocol on singing all six stanzas of Vande Mataram in schools.
A bench led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru observed that the national song is not governed by any statutory framework and that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) advisory uses the term “may,” making it non-mandatory.
The petitioner had argued that inclusion of certain stanzas—allegedly invoking Hindu deities—violates the secular basic structure of the Constitution and fundamental rights. However, the Court noted submissions by the Additional Solicitor General that there is no compulsion to sing the song and similar challenges have already been dismissed by the Supreme Court.
The plea had also questioned the constitutional validity of the February 2026 protocol titled ‘Orders Relating to the National Song of India’, which describes all six stanzas as the official version and suggests that schools may begin the day with community singing.
Declining to spend further judicial time on the issue, the Court refused to examine the merits of the challenge and dismissed the PIL.
