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Vande Mataram at 150: Lok Sabha Debate and Background

9 December 20251 min read
NATIONAL AFFAIRSVande Mataram at150: Lok SabhaDebate andBackground9 December 2025safalsetu.com

Why in the news

Parliament marked 150 years of Vande Mataram, with PM Modi recalling its role in the freedom struggle.

Key facts

  • Meaning: “I bow to thee, Mother”.
  • Author: Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, 1876, in Sanskrit and Bengali.
  • Role in freedom movement: sung at protests, rallies and secret meetings; a rallying call during the Partition of Bengal (1905) and the Swadeshi Movement.
  • Status: National Song since 1950, separate from the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana. Only the first two stanzas are recognised.

Background

  • The song personifies India as a mother goddess, stressing patriotism, unity and devotion.

Exam angle

  • Novel containing the song: Anandamath, set around the Sannyasi Rebellion in 18th-century Bengal.
  • Other verses drew objections.

Test yourself

1. Who wrote Vande Mataram, the National Song of India?

The notes credit Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, in 1876.

2. Vande Mataram appeared in which novel by its author?

It was later included in Anandamath (1882).

3. In which year was Vande Mataram officially designated India's National Song?

The notes state official designation came in 1950.