Chennai, Dec 17 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin on Friday announced the "Tamil Thai Vazhthu" as the state anthem and all should stand up when it is being sung, said an official statement.

According to the statement, the anthem should be sung at the start of all functions in educational institutions, universities, state government offices and state government undertakings.

However, the differently-abled persons have been exempted.

The DMK government has also ordered that instead of playing the recorded state anthem, it should be sung by those who are trained to sing the same.

The government said it would encourage singing of the anthem in private functions as well.

According to the government, time has come to codify the norms for singing it.

Recently, the Madras High Court held that "Tamil Thai Vazhthu" is a prayer song and not an anthem and there is no order mandating people to stand when it is sung.

The court was deciding on a case filed after the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Pontiff Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal did not stand up when the song was played resulting in a controversy.

Notably, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) did not play the song during its convocation and the state government had written to the institute's Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi to play it at all its functions.