Constitution- Official Languages

• Part XVII of the Constitution, Articles 343 to 351, addresses official languages.
• The provisions fall under four categories: language of the Union, regional languages, language of the judiciary and texts of laws, and special directives.

Language of the Union

• Hindi in Devanagari script is the official language, but international numerals are used for official purposes.
• English was used for official Union purposes from 1950 to 1965; Parliament could then authorize its use for specific purposes.
• A commission is appointed every five and ten years to make recommendations about Hindi's progressive use and restrictions on English.
• The commission includes a chairman and members representing languages in the Eighth Schedule.
• A parliamentary committee reviews the commission’s recommendations and reports to the President.
• The committee has 30 members: 20 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
• In 1955, the Official Language Commission, chaired by B.G. Kher, submitted a report in 1956.
• Gobind Ballabh Pant led a parliamentary committee that examined the report in 1957.
• Another Official Language Commission was not appointed in 1960 as per the Constitution.
• The Official Languages Act of 1963 allowed the continued use of English alongside Hindi for official Union purposes and parliamentary business.
• The 1963 Act permits indefinite English Usage and was amended in 1967 to mandate English alongside Hindi in specific cases.
• These cases include resolutions, general orders, rules, notifications, administrative reports, and press communications from the Central government.
• It also applies to administrative reports and official papers before Parliament and contracts, agreements, licenses, permits, and notices issued by the Central government or government-owned entities.

Regional Languages

• State legislatures can adopt one or more regional languages or Hindi as the official language, with English continuing until a change is made.
• Most states have chosen their major regional language, not limited to those in the Eighth Schedule.
• English serves as the link language between the Union and states or between states; states can agree to use Hindi for communication.
• The Official Languages Act (1963) specifies English for communication between the Union and non-Hindi states.
• Communications in Hindi between Hindi and non-Hindi states must include an English translation.
• The President can recognize a language spoken by a substantial population in a state as official to protect linguistic minority interests.

Language of the Judiciary and Texts of Laws

• All proceedings in the Supreme Court and high courts are in English until Parliament states otherwise.
• Authoritative texts of bills, acts, ordinances, orders, rules, regulations, and bylaws at the central and state levels are in English.
• A state governor, with the President's consent, can allow Hindi or the state's official language in high court proceedings, excluding judgements, decrees, and orders, which must remain in English.
• State legislatures can specify a language other than English for bills, acts, ordinances, etc., if an English translation is provided.
• The Official Languages Act of 1963 authorizes the President to consider Hindi translations of acts, ordinances, orders, regulations, and bylaws as authoritative.
• Every bill in Parliament must have a Hindi translation.
• State acts or ordinances may include a Hindi translation in certain cases.
• A state governor, with the President's consent, can authorize Hindi or the state's official language for high court judgements, decrees, and orders, if accompanied by an English translation.
• Hindi is not used in the Supreme Court because Parliament has not provided for it; petitions and appeals must be in English.
• The Authorized Translations (Central Laws) Act of 1973 designates translations of central laws in any regional language of the Eighth Schedule (excluding Hindi) as authoritative.

Special Directives

• These are for protecting linguistic minorities and developing the Hindi language.

Protection of Linguistic Minorities

• Individuals can submit representations in any language used in the Union or state without rejection for not being in the official language.
• States and local authorities must provide primary education in the mother tongue for children from linguistic minority groups and the President can issue directions for this via the 7th Amendment Act of 1956.
• A special officer for linguistic minorities, appointed by the President, investigates safeguards and reports to the President.
• The President presents these reports to Parliament and the relevant state government.

Development of Hindi Language

• The Centre must promote Hindi to become the lingua franca of India's composite culture.
• The Centre is tasked with enhancing Hindi by integrating forms, styles, and expressions from Hindustani and other languages in the Eighth Schedule, primarily drawing vocabulary from Sanskrit.
• The Eighth Schedule includes 22 languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
• Amendments have added languages to the Eighth Schedule: Sindhi (21st CAA1967), Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali (71st CAA1992), Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali (92nd CAA 2003).
• The 96th Amendment Act of 2011 substituted "Odia" for "Oriya".
• Objectives of specifying regional languages in the Eighth Schedule are to enable members of these languages to be represented in the Official Language Commission and also allows enriching the Hindi language with respective forms, styles, and expressions.

Committee of Parliament on Official Language

• The Official Languages Act (1963) established this committee to oversee Hindi's use for Union official purposes.
• It was formed in 1976 and consists of 30 members of Parliament (20 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha), chaired by the Union Home Minister.
• Its responsibilities include reviewing Hindi usage in Central Government offices in line with constitutional provisions and the Official Languages Act, 1963.
• The committee also examines the medium of instruction in schools, colleges, and universities, recruitment modes for Central Government services, and departmental examination mediums.
• The Committee's Secretariat, headed by the Secretary, is part of the Department of Official Language under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The committee sends recommendations to the President, who shares the report with Parliament and State Governments and can give directions based on it.

Classical Language

• In 2004, the Government of India established a category of "classical languages."
• Currently, six languages have this status.
• Languages declared as Classical Languages receive major international awards for scholars, a 'Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Languages,' and UGC Professional Chairs in Central Universities.

Criteria for Classic Language

• High antiquity of early texts/recorded history spanning 1500-2000 years.
• Presence of ancient literature/texts considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
• Original literary tradition not borrowed from another speech community.
• Distinctiveness of the classical language and literature from modern forms, potentially showing a discontinuity.