This is bad news for jingoists. The Supreme Court seems to have finally accepted its constitutional mandate, leaving the decision to the Centre on whether or not to have the national anthem played at cinema halls and other events.

When the apex court had, last year, mandated that all present should stand when cinema halls play the national anthem 'in order to instill a feeling of patriotism among the people', it led to a flood of petitions to include schools and public offices under the ruling.