Why in News?
India's 80th Independence Day celebrations highlighted 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram, alongside a focus on youth participation.
Why is Vande Mataram important?
Penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875 and published in the literary journal Bangadarshan (later included in the novel Anandamath in 1882).
In 1896, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram at the Kolkata session of the Indian National Congress.
First two verses were adopted in 1937 as India’s National Song by the Congress Working Committee.
The song became closely associated with India's freedom movement and was adopted as the National Song in 1950.
India’s Constitution does not explicitly mention a national song. However, Article 51A(a) asks citizens to respect the Constitution, National Flag and National Anthem
Exam Connect
Bankim Chandra
19th-century Bengali writer
His major works are Anandamath, Durgeshnandini, Kapalkundala, and Devi Chaudhurani which captured the social and cultural struggles of a colonised society.