RAS question
Who initiated the special debate in Lok Sabha on December 8, 2025, commemorating the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram'?
Correct answer: (B) Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the special Lok Sabha discussion on December 8, 2025, marking 150 years of the National Song, Vande Mataram.
Explanation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the correct answer because the PIB release from the Prime Minister's Office records that he addressed the special discussion in the Lok Sabha on 150 years of the National Song, Vande Mataram, and says he stood to initiate the discussion. He began the special debate on December 8, 2025, and inaugurated a year-long commemoration of the national song. The point to notice is the institutional setting: this was not a general cultural event but a Lok Sabha discussion linked to a national-symbol commemoration. That is why the answer turns on who opened the parliamentary discussion, not merely who held a constitutional office.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Amit Shah is not the answer because the Press Information Bureau, Prime Minister's Office identifies Prime Minister Narendra Modi, not the Union Home Minister, as the person who initiated the Lok Sabha discussion.
- (C) Rajnath Singh is wrong because the verified PIB release centres the special discussion on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address and initiation, with no basis for attributing its opening to the Defence Minister.
- (D) Om Birla is wrong because the question asks who initiated the special debate, and the PIB release names Narendra Modi rather than the Lok Sabha Speaker in that role.
Concept
This tests the governance side of national symbols: how commemorations of symbols such as Vande Mataram enter parliamentary proceedings. RAS asks such items because they link constitutional culture, Parliament, and current official commemorations.