National language policy, acts and official language frameworks

India operates as a plurilingual federation without a designated single national language under its Constitution. Official administrative functions, judicial procedures, and educational policies rely on a dual framework of Hindi in Devanagari script and English, supported by state-level official language enactments. Constitutional provisions under Part XVII, statutory laws such as the Official Languages Act of 1963, and policy schemes like the Three-Language Formula form the governance architecture for managing linguistic diversity across the country.

Constitutional Provisions on Official Languages

Part XVII of the Constitution contains Articles 343 to 351, which outline the framework governing official communications, judicial languages, and central directives.

Core Constitutional Articles

• Article 343 declares Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union, with the international form of Indian numerals used for official purposes. It permitted the continued use of English for official purposes for 15 years from the commencement of the Constitution.
• Article 344 provides for the constitution of an Official Language Commission by the President after five years, followed by a Parliamentary Committee of 30 members (20 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha) to examine its recommendations.
• Article 345 empowers State Legislatures to adopt any one or more languages in use in the state, or Hindi, as the official language for state administrative purposes.
• Article 346 mandates that the official language of the Union serves as the language for communication between states and between a state and the Centre.
• Article 347 permits the President to direct official recognition of a language spoken by a substantial section of a state population upon demand.
• Article 348 dictates that proceedings in the Supreme Court, all High Courts, and authoritative texts of Bills, Acts, Ordinances, and Rules must remain in English until Parliament provides otherwise.
• Article 350 guarantees the right to submit grievances in any language used in the Union or State.
• Article 350A mandates states to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups.
• Article 350B provides for a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities, appointed by the President, to investigate matters relating to constitutional safeguards for linguistic minorities.
• Article 351 imposes a directive on the Union to promote the spread and development of the Hindi language so that it serves as a medium of expression for all elements of the composite culture of India.

Eighth Schedule of the Constitution

The Eighth Schedule recognizes regional languages to give them representation on the Official Languages Commission and to enrich the vocabulary of Hindi.

Official Languages Act, 1963 and Official Languages Rules, 1976

Parliament enacted the Official Languages Act in 1963 to govern language usage after the initial 15-year constitutional transition period ended on January 26, 1965.

Key Statutory Frameworks

• Section 3 of the Official Languages Act, 1963 allows the indefinite use of English alongside Hindi for central official purposes and parliamentary business.
• Section 3(3) mandates bilingual publication in both Hindi and English for resolutions, general orders, rules, notifications, administrative reports, press communiques, contracts, licenses, and tender notices.
• Section 4 establishes a Committee on Official Language consisting of 30 members of Parliament to review progress in the usage of Hindi.
• The Official Languages Rules, 1976 divide Indian states and Union Territories into three administrative regions to implement official language policies.

Language Policies in Educational Frameworks

Educational language policies balance national integration, regional heritage, and access to modern scientific knowledge.

Three-Language Formula

• The Central Advisory Board of Education devised the Three-Language Formula in 1956, incorporating it into the National Policy on Education in 1968 and 1986.
• Non-Hindi speaking states teach the regional language, Hindi, and English.
• Hindi-speaking states teach Hindi, English, and a modern Indian language (preferably a South Indian language).
• The National Education Policy 2020 reaffirms the Three-Language Formula with added flexibility, stipulating that no language is imposed on any state.
• NEP 2020 mandates that the medium of instruction until Grade 5, and preferably Grade 8, should be the mother tongue, local language, or regional language.

Framework for Classical Languages

The Union Government created a separate category of Classical Languages in 2004 to preserve ancient literary heritages.

Selection Criteria and Administration

The Ministry of Culture grants Classical Language status upon the recommendation of the Linguistic Experts Committee under the Sahitya Akademi. The updated criteria require:

• High antiquity of early texts or recorded history over a period of 1,500 to 2,000 years.
• A body of ancient literature or texts considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
• Knowledge texts, especially prose texts in addition to poetry, as well as epigraphical and inscriptional evidence.
• A distinct classical language and literature that may differ from modern offshoots or exhibit a discontinuity with later forms.

Key Facts and Administrative Trivia

• The Constitution of India does not designate any language as the “National Language” of the country.
• BG Kher headed the First Official Language Commission constituted by the President in 1955 under Article 344.
• GB Pant chaired the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language formed in 1957 to review the Kher Commission recommendations.
• English and Hindi serve as the default languages for conducting business in Parliament under Article 120, though the presiding officer can permit a member to address the House in their mother tongue.
• Article 210 governs language usage in State Legislatures, allowing members to speak in their mother tongue with permission from the Speaker or Chairman.
• Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh have adopted English as their state official language.
• Uttarakhand became the first state in India to declare Sanskrit as its second official language in 2010, followed by Himachal Pradesh in 2019.
• The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), established in 1969 in Mysore, Karnataka, works to advise and assist central and state governments on language matters.
• The Department of Official Language was created in June 1975 as an independent department under the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure compliance with official language provisions.
• The Maharshi Badrayan Samman and the Presidential Award of Certificate of Honour are awarded annually for outstanding research and contributions in Classical Indian languages.