Question

Provisions of the Constitution regarding Language.

Answer 1

The Constitution of India contains detailed provisions on language to promote both national unity and regional diversity. Part XVII (Articles 343 to 351) deals with the official language of the Union and the states. According to Article 343, Hindi in Devanagari script is the official language of the Union, while English was allowed to continue for official purposes for an initial period (and still continues alongside Hindi). Article 345 allows states to adopt their own official language(s) for state-level administration.

The Constitution also recognizes 22 languages under the Eighth Schedule, known as the Scheduled Languages. Articles 350 and 350A provide citizens the right to submit grievances in any of these languages and ensure primary education in the mother tongue for children from linguistic minorities. Article 351 directs the government to promote the spread of Hindi.

These provisions aim to respect India’s linguistic diversity while promoting national integration.