Supreme Court asks center whether 'Vande Mataram' merits equal status
India
The Supreme Court has asked the central government to weigh in on whether Vande Mataram should get the same status as Jana Gana Mana.
This comes after a public interest plea argued that both songs deserve equal respect, especially since Vande Mataram played a big role in India's freedom movement.
Ashwini Upadhyay seeks daily school singing
Filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, the petition wants both songs played and sung in all schools and educational institutions on every working day and urges safeguards so Vande Mataram isn't misused in films and at parties.
It also calls for a national policy to promote the song's cultural and patriotic value, pointing out that it has not always gotten equal recognition.