Official Language of the Union

The Constitution designates Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union, while permitting English to continue for specified Union purposes under parliamentary law. It distinguishes an official language, used in government, from a national language; it does not designate any language as India’s national language.

Constitutional position

Under Article 343, the Union’s official language is Hindi in Devanagari script, and the form of numerals for Union purposes is the international form of Indian numerals. The Constitution originally continued English for Union official purposes for 15 years from its commencement and empowered Parliament to provide for its use thereafter.

• Under Article 120, business in Parliament may be transacted in Hindi or English; the presiding officer may permit a member unable to use either language to speak in the member’s mother tongue.
• Under Article 348, English is used for proceedings in the Supreme Court and High Courts and for authoritative texts of Bills, Acts, ordinances and specified legal instruments, unless Parliament provides otherwise.

Continued use of English

Parliament enacted the Official Languages Act, 1963, which provides for the continued use of English, in addition to Hindi, for Union official purposes for which it was previously used and for the transaction of business in Parliament. Thus, the constitutional scheme does not require an exclusive replacement of English by Hindi.

• The Act also provides for the use of both Hindi and English in specified official documents and communications, supporting administrative continuity across linguistically diverse regions.

Development and linguistic accommodation

Under Article 344, the President constitutes an Official Language Commission and a parliamentary committee to consider the progressive use of Hindi, restrictions on English and related language arrangements. Article 351 directs the Union to promote and develop Hindi while enriching it through Hindustani and languages in the Eighth Schedule.

• Article 350 allows any person to submit a grievance to a Union or state authority in any language used in the Union or that state.