The Official Languages of India

• Article 343 of the Indian Constitution recognises Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the union; the Constitution also allows for the continuation of use of the English language for official purposes.
• Article 345 provides constitutional recognition to “regional languages” of the union to include any language adopted by a State Legislature as the official language of that state.
• In 1955, official language commission was appointed, Sir BG Kher was Chairman, the commission recommended that a rigid dateline for changeover of language should not be prescribed. This recommendation was accepted by the Parliament.
• The state legislature can adopt anyone or more languages used in the State or Hindi for the official use of the state. There is also provision for the recognition of any other language for the official use of a state or any part thereof, upon a substantial popular demand for it being made to the President of India, in article 347 of the constitution.
• English is language of authoritative text of –
• All proceeding in the Supreme Court and in High Court.
• All bills pr amendments thereto moved in either House of Parliament or the State Legislature.
• All acts passed by Parliament or State Legislature
• All ordinances promulgated by the President of India or a State Governor
• All orders, rules, regulations and bylaws issued under constitution or under any law made by parliament or the state legislature.
• A state legislature can prefer the use of any language other than English for Bills and Acts passed by it or subordinate legislation made there under.
• The languages includes in the 8th Schedule of the constitution of India are- Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Manipuri, Malayalam, Konkani, Marathi Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Santhali, Bodo, Maithili, Dogri.