Newly formed government in West Bengal under the leadership of Subhendu Adhikari is taking one administrative decision after another. After making the national anthem ‘Bande Mataram’ mandatory in all government and government-aided schools, the state government has now extended this rule to every approved madrasa in the state. Chief Minister Subhendu Adhikari has given approval to include singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ as compulsory in the daily agenda of all madrasas in the state.
Directorate of Madrasah Education has issued an official notification stating that all previous rules and practices in this regard have been cancelled. This new directive is effective immediately. This order will apply to government model madrasas (English medium), approved grant-in-aid madrasas, approved madrasa education centers, child education centers and approved unaided madrasas under the Department of Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education.
State Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education Minister Khudiram Tudu confirmed the decision. He said, when ‘Bande Matram’ has already been made compulsory in other government schools including Saotali language schools, there can be no reason not to make it compulsory in approved madrasas.
Earlier on May 13, the West Bengal Education Department had issued a notification making ‘Bande Matram’ mandatory in all government schools. Chief Minister Subvendu Adhikari also shared the notification on his official social media account on May 14.
Notably, earlier in February 2026, the central government accorded ‘Bande Mataram’ the status of national anthem ‘Jan Gana Man’.
The previous Trinamool Congress government introduced the song ‘Banglar Mati Banglar Jal’ written by Rabindranath Tagore as the national anthem of the state in 1905 during the Bengal Partition Movement. The national anthem ‘Bande Mataram’ written by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay has now been added to that list. As a result, students have to sing the National Anthem and the National Anthem within the limited time of the daily assembly of the school.
Source: India TV
