Singing the Nada Geethe (State anthem) is likely to be made mandatory in all schools in Karnataka.

Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Tanveer Sait on Thursday said, “In many schools, during the assembly, children sing the national anthem and in some cases, even the school anthem. We have no objection to that. But we want schools to teach children to respect the land and its culture, and ensure that they sing the Nada Geethe too,” he said.

Mr. Sait said a circular would be issued once the pattern for the State anthem was finalised. “There are as many as five patterns. We have forwarded all of them to the Department of Kannada and Culture, which will finalise one,” he said. The idea is to ensure that all lines are sung without mistakes and none is repeated.

Sources in the Education Department said rules state that children should sing the Nada Geethe too, but these are being ignored by private schools and those affiliated to Central boards.