Guidelines on playing national anthem | Explained

Tamil Nadu Governor leaves Assembly over national anthem issue, sparking debate on constitutional duties and traditions.

The Story So Far: On Monday (January 6, 2025), Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi left the Legislative Assembly without delivering the customary address on the opening day of the first session of the year complaining that national anthem was not played before his scheduled address. Last year too, he had refused to read out his address citing similar reasons.

The Raj Bhavan has alleged “the Constitution of Bharat and the National Anthem were once again insulted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. It said respecting the National Anthem is among the first Fundamental Duty as enshrined in our Constitution. It is sung in all the state legislatures at the beginning and the end of Governor’s address. Not singing the anthem is a matter of grave concern. Not to be a party to such “brazen disrespect to the Constitution and the National Anthem,” the Governor in deep anguish left the House.

As per convention, the State anthem — Tamil Thai Vaazhthu is played at the beginning of the Governor’s address. The national anthem is played at the end of the address.

Each House follows its own convention. For instance, in Nagaland, the national anthem was not played at all for several decades. It was played for the first time in February 2021 when R.N. Ravi was the Governor of the north-eastern State. Likewise, in March 2018, the national Anthem was played for the first time in the Tripura Assembly.

Section 51 (A) (a) of the Constitution of India dealing with fundamental duties, says: It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the national flag and the national anthem.

The full version of the national anthem shall be played on the following occasions:

The full version of the anthem shall be played accompanied by mass singing on the following occasions: