New Delhi, Dec. 7 -- The lower house of the Parliament, the Lok Sabha will hold a special discussion on December 8, to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram, during which several important, lesser-known historical facets of the iconic national song are expected to be highlighted.

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the debate at 12 noon on Monday, marking the formal beginning of the proceedings. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also scheduled to speak at the conclusion of the discussion.

The BJP-led NDA government has been allotted three hours for its participation in the Lok Sabha debate, while a total of 10 hours has been earmarked for the entire discussion, as the debate will also take place in the upper house...