The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, seeking to make insults to Vande Mataram a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison.
The bill amends the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. It was introduced during the first week of the Monsoon Session, which otherwise ended in a washout amid demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Proceedings in both Houses began with homage to Armed Forces members killed in the Kargil War, ahead of Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26.
The amendment would extend criminal penalties already applicable to the national anthem to the national song Vande Mataram.
