The part that describes the official language of the
Indian democracy have to be written to promote a feeling
of unity among Indian citizens. As we know that even
today anywhere between 300 to 1,000 languages are spoken
in India, this makes an integral part of the Indian
constitution.
The official language of the Union shall be Hindi
in Devanagari script. The form of numerals to be used
for the official purposes of the Union shall be the
international form of Indian numerals.
Notwithstanding anything in clause (1), for a period
of fifteen years from the commencement of this Constitution,
the English language shall continue to be used for
all the official purposes of the Union for which it
was being used immediately before such commencement:
Provided that the President may, during the said period,
by order authorise the use of the Hindi language in
addition to the English language and of the Devanagari
form of numerals in addition to the international
form of Indian numerals for any of the official purposes
of the Union.
Notwithstanding anything in this article, Parliament
may by law provide for the use, after the said period
of fifteen years, of-
The English language, or
The Devanagari form of numerals, for such purposes
as may be specified in the law.
Regional Languages:
Article 345. Official language or languages of
a State:-
Subject to the provisions of articles 346 and 347,
the Legislature of a State may by law adopt any one
or more of the languages in use in the State or Hindi
as the language or languages to be used for all or
any of the official purposes of that State:
Provided that, until the Legislature of the State
otherwise provides by law, the English language shall
continue to be used for those official purposes within
the State for which it was being used immediately
before the commencement of this Constitution.
Article 346. Official language for communication
between one State and another or between a State and
the Union: -
The language for the time being authorised for use
in the Union for official purposes shall be the official
language for communication between one State and another
State and between a State and the Union:
Provided that if two or more States agree that the
Hindi language should be the official language for
communication between such States, that language may
be used for such communication.
Article 347. Special provision relating to language
spoken by a section of the population of a State:
-
On a demand being made in that behalf the President
may, if he is satisfied that a substantial proportion
of the population of a State desire the use of any
language spoken by them to be recognised by that State,
direct that such language shall also be officially
recognised throughout that State or any part thereof
for such purpose as he may specify.
Special Directives: -
Article 350. Language to be used in representations
for redress of grievances: -
Every person shall be entitled to submit a representation
for the redress of any grievance to any officer or
authority of the Union or a State in any of the languages
used in the Union or in the State, as the case may
be.
Article 350A. Facilities for instruction in mother-tongue
at primary stage: -
It shall be the endeavour of every State and of every
local authority within the State to provide adequate
facilities for instruction in the mother-tongue at
the primary stage of education to children belonging
to linguistic minority groups; and the President may
issue such directions to any State as he considers
necessary or proper for securing the provision of
such facilities.
Article 350B. Special Officer for linguistic minorities:
-
There shall be a Special Officer for linguistic minorities
to be appointed by the President. It shall be the
duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters
relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic
minorities under this Constitution and report to the
President upon those matters at such intervals as
the President may direct, and the President shall
cause all such reports to be laid before each House
of Parliament, and sent to the Governments of the
States concerned.
Article 351. Directive for development of the
Hindi language: -
It shall be the duty of the Union to promote the
spread of the Hindi language, to develop it so that
it may serve as a medium of expression for all the
elements of the composite culture of India and to
secure its enrichment by assimilating without interfering
with its genius, the forms, style and expressions
used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India
specified in the Eighth Schedule, and by drawing,
wherever necessary or desirable, for its vocabulary,
primarily on Sanskrit and secondarily on other languages.
