The Supreme Court on Friday decided to consider whether the National Anthem could be sung on all working days in schools and Government offices. Issuing notice on a PIl filed in this regard, the Bench of Justices Dipak Misra, R Banumathi and Mohan M Shantanagoudar said, “We do not intend to enter into any debate as far as the National Song is concerned,” since Article 51A(a) of the Constitution that casts a Fundamental Duty on all citizens to respect and abide by the National Anthem and National Flag, making no mention of National Song.
However, the petition argued by senior advocate Vikas Singh also requested the Court to consider framing a National Policy to make awareness of National Anthem more popular by singing or playing it on weekdays in Government offices, Parliament/State Assembly and schools.
The Bench kept this issue alive and tagged it with another pending matter where the Court had passed orders asking cinema theatres across the country to play the National Anthem before screening of a movie. The Bench recalled that during the hearing of the Anthem case, Attorney General had proposed to introduce singing of National Anthem in schools.
The Bench said, “In the earlier writ petition, a contention was advanced by the Attorney General pertaining to schools and, therefore, as far as the prayer relating to ‘schools on every working day’ is concerned, it is kept alive.” At the same time, the Court added, “We may hasten to clarify that by keeping the prayer alive, we have not expressed any opinion on the same.”