Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Thursday announced that all state-run and state-aided schools will now begin their day with Rabindranath Tagore's 'Banglar Mati Banglar Jol' along with the National Anthem 'Jana Gana Mana'.

Education Minister Bratya Basu said on X that the decision, approved by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, makes the state anthem a compulsory morning prayer song in schools. The move, he added, aims to foster “communal amity and social harmony” and make students aware of Bengal's cultural identity.

Written by Tagore in 1905 to protest the partition of Bengal, 'Banglar Mati Banglar Jol' (Bengal's Land, Bengal's Water) had been earlier declared the state anthem. Until now, there was no officially designated prayer song apart from the National Anthem.

A notice issued by the Education Department directed “regular singing of the State Song in morning assembly with immediate effect.”

West Bengal Board of Secondary Education President Ramanuj Ganguly confirmed that circulars have been sent to all affiliated schools to implement the directive.