The Supreme Court is seeking a response from the Union government on a petition challenging provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026, after a Carnatic vocalist and author, T.M. Krishna, approached the court.
According to reports, the court’s approach frames the issue as balancing state authority to prescribe performance of the National Song with constitutional protections for religious freedoms. One outlet highlights that the court affirms that mandates related to the National Song cannot infringe religious rights. Another reports that while the state may set requirements, it should not penalize “conscientious objectors” who object on grounds of conscience, including those linked to religious beliefs.
The outlets differ in emphasis: one stresses the principle that religious freedom limits the reach of national-song mandates, while the other underscores limits on enforcement against conscientious objectors. Both accounts, however, describe the same procedural step—seeking the Union government’s response to the constitutional challenge to the amended Act.
