In independent India, in which year was the song \"Jana Gana Mana\" formally adopted as the National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly?

Introduction / Context:
\"Jana Gana Mana\" is one of the most well-known national symbols of India. While Rabindranath Tagore composed it much earlier, it was only after independence that the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted it as the National Anthem. This question tests whether you can recall the exact year in which that formal adoption took place, a detail that often appears in examinations on Indian polity, modern history, and general knowledge.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The song referred to is \"Jana Gana Mana,\" composed by Rabindranath Tagore.
• The options given are the years 1947, 1949, 1950, and 1951.
• The question is about the year of formal adoption as the National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly.
• We assume awareness that India became a Republic in 1950.

Concept / Approach:
Although \"Jana Gana Mana\" was first sung in 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress, it was only after independence that it received official status as the National Anthem. On 24 January 1950, just before the Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950, the Constituent Assembly came to a formal decision adopting \"Jana Gana Mana\" as the National Anthem. Therefore, the correct year of adoption is 1950, not 1947 or 1949.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that India gained independence on 15 August 1947 but continued to use the Government of India Act 1935 as an interim constitutional framework.Step 2: Know that the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950, a date celebrated as Republic Day.Step 3: The Constituent Assembly formally adopted \"Jana Gana Mana\" as the National Anthem on 24 January 1950.Step 4: Since the question asks only for the year, we need to pick the year in which this adoption occurred.Step 5: From the options 1947, 1949, 1950, and 1951, only 1950 matches the correct year of formal adoption.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by remembering that the Constituent Assembly, on the same day (24 January 1950), also adopted \"Vande Mataram\" as the National Song. Many textbooks and exam guides clearly state that \"Jana Gana Mana\" was adopted as the National Anthem in 1950. Another way to check is to think of the symbolic coincidence that the National Anthem and the Republican Constitution are both associated with the landmark year 1950. This helps you quickly eliminate the other years.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 1947: This year marks India's independence but not the formal adoption of the National Anthem by the Constituent Assembly.
• 1949: This year is associated with the adoption of the Constitution (26 November 1949), but the National Anthem was adopted slightly later in January 1950.
• 1951: By 1951, \"Jana Gana Mana\" was already the National Anthem; there was no new adoption in this year.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates confuse the different landmark dates of independence, constitutional adoption, and Republic Day. Some think that because independence was in 1947, the National Anthem must have been adopted in the same year. Others mistakenly link it to the November 1949 adoption of the Constitution. A simple memory aid is that the formal adoption of \"Jana Gana Mana\" as the National Anthem occurred in the same year that India became a Republic: 1950.

Final Answer:
\"Jana Gana Mana\" was formally adopted as the National Anthem of India in the year 1950.