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Full Vande Mataram to ring out from Red Fort for 1st time on Independence Day
Vande Mataram will be sung as PM Modi arrives at Red Fort, followed by flag hoisting and his customary address to the nation.
The national song Vande Mataram will be sung from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the first time at this year’s Independence Day celebrations, which will focus on 150 years of the song and the contribution of young Indians to the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said on Monday.
Around 27,000 people are expected to attend the 80th Independence Day celebrations, with youth innovators, interns, entrepreneurs and students among those invited, Singh said at a media briefing.
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Vande Mataram will be sung in full when Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the Red Fort, after which he will hoist the national flag and deliver his customary address to the nation. Invitation cards issued by the defence ministry carry the lyrics of the song so that attendees can sing along.
What are the two themes?
The celebrations will be held under two themes—“150 Years of Vande Mataram” and “Yuva Shakti for Viksit Bharat@2047”. Singh said the Yuva Shakti theme was decided independently of the recent developments at Jantar Mantar.
The youth invited to the celebrations include innovators under national innovation programmes, top interns under the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme, start-ups supported under various government schemes, and youth who have performed well under the Prime Minister’s Kaushal Vikas Yojana and Start-up India Seed Fund.
The defence ministry said 19 students who won medals at the International Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematical Olympiads 2026 have also been invited. Their achievements, it said, exemplify the success of Yuva Shakti in science.
Vande Mataram theme
The Vande Mataram theme will also be reflected in the ceremonial arrangements.
Also read | Only first 2 stanzas of Vande Mataram to be sung in Kerala: Minister
“The floral decoration will showcase ‘Vande Mataram,’ with a total of 2,500 boy and girl cadets of NCC and My Bharat volunteers forming Vande Mataram on Gyanpath. A Mi-17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force will carry a banner commemorating 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, and shower flower petals over the people gathered at Red Fort,” the defence ministry said.
The ministry said view-cutters in the backdrop would showcase India’s progress in nuclear and space technology, while floral decorations in the Guard of Honour area would depict India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat@2047.
The decision to feature Vande Mataram prominently at the celebrations comes amid a renewed government focus on the national song in its 150th year.
In February, the Union home ministry issued protocols providing for rendition of all six stanzas of the song at specified official functions.
Parliament recently passed a bill elevating the national song to the same status as the national anthem.
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, makes any obstruction or insult to the national song a criminal offence, proposing a jail term of up to three years and a fine for offenders.
The law currently safeguards the national flag, the national anthem and the Constitution.
