India, Nov. 14 -- Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the year-long celebrations to commemorate 150th years of the national song last week, he was mesmerised by the first ever recorded version of Vande Matram. All thanks to two serving senior bureaucrats who have treasured a collection of gramophone records.

Sources said the PM was captivated when he was introduced to the 1996-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service officer Akhilesh Jha and 1997-batch IRS officer Rashmita Jha, who played him the first ever record of the national song.

"The PM appreciated a lot to the zeal of the enthusiast bureaucrat couple in dedicatedly researching and revisiting the history of the country. PM was also informed that the officers have done ...