When did Jana Gana Mana become National Anthem? PMO does not know, and CIC wants it to find out

An information commissioner observed that people should be taught the greatness of these songs before they are punished for not standing up for them.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has asked the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to dig up information on the National Anthem and the National Song after the latter refused to provide information on it, saying the query "does not pertain to this Public Authority." An information commissioner (IC), while issuing the order, retorted that people should be taught the greatness of these songs before they are punished for not standing up for them.

The PMO has been urged to "initiate fresh efforts" on a query filed by one Harinder Dhingra who had asked it to "certify if Jana Gana Mana was the National Anthem and Vande Mataram the National Song, besides completing the file noting on declaration of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's poem as the national anthem."

IC Sridhar Acharyulu was quoted by PTI as saying that it was surprising that Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs) of all high offices simply passed queries on these topics to the others "without application of mind." He observed: "This silence gives rise to doubts whether the Union government has any records about Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram."

The IC also said: "All this necessitates an official dossier from the Government of India, based on thorough research of records in response to this RTI question to provide an authentic answer to doubts and to remove misunderstandings among the people about Jana Gana Mana."

He also cited a Supreme Court order to add: "To instil respect for the National Anthem, the Union government should do all it can to educate people about the historical importance and significant reasons for declaring Jana Gana Mana as National Anthem. Before punishing people for not standing or respecting the National Anthem, they should be informed about its greatness."

The IC said in his order: "The commission remands the first two questions...back to the CPIO of the PMO with a direction to initiate fresh efforts to find the historical facts about these two inspiring songs — Jana Gana Mana and Vande Matharam — and the status accorded to them to place facts before the nation and dispel widespread misnomers about them in larger public interest. It is a national necessity to address the patriotic and secular sentiments of the people of India."