The West Bengal government on Thursday directed all state-run and state-aided schools to mandatorily sing Vande Mataram during morning assemblies, The Telegraph reported.

While a communication issued by the School Education Department on Wednesday says the order will be enforced “with immediate effect”, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the directive would be implemented from May 18.

Every student must participate in singing the national song at the start of the school day, and heads of institutions have been instructed to ensure strict compliance, PTI quoted the directive as stating.

An unidentified School Education Department official said the school authorities had also been asked to document the proceedings, including through video recordings, as proof of implementation, according to the news agency.

Schools in West Bengal had traditionally sung only the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, during assemblies. In recent years, the previous Trinamool Congress government had also introduced singing of Banglar Mati Banglar Jol, the state song.

“It is unclear whether we have to finish all three songs within the stipulated 10 minutes or have a longer prayer,” Swapan Mandal of the Bengal Teachers’ and Employees’ Association told The Telegraph.

On January 28, the Union home ministry directed that all six stanzas of the Vande Mataram be sung first when it is played together with the Jana Gana Mana.

Only the first two stanzas of the national song had been played at official functions earlier. The remaining stanzas, which invoke Hindu goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati, had been omitted.

Edited by Neerad Pandharipande

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