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There is no official national language in India. In the Indian Constitution, there is no mention of the official national language in order to maintain the linguistic diversity of the nation.
On the other hand, the Official Languages of the Union of India include Hindi in the Devanagari script under Article 343 and English. Besides, 22 languages have been declared by the Constitution of India in its 8th Schedule. These languages include Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Urdu, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam, Odia, among many others. Moreover, each state in India has the constitutional provision to declare its own official language(s) and conduct its administration in that language.
Official Language of India
The Official Language of India comes under Article 343 of the Constitution of India. The Article states that Hindi in Devanagari script will be the Official Language of the Union. Moreover, the international form of Indian numerals from 0 to 9 shall be used in the country's official transactions. Nonetheless, taking into account India's linguistic diversity and its administrative needs, the Constitution also provided for the use of the English language in official transactions in a transitional period.
As a result of the Official Languages Act, 1963, the English language will also be used for Union government business in addition to Hindi after the transitional period. English language is currently being used in India for parliamentary transactions, for judiciary business, for central government administration, and also in the transaction between the Union and non-Hindi speaking states of India.
Constitutional Provisions Related to Languages in India
| Article | Provision | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Article 343 | Official Language of the Union | Declares Hindi in the Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Union and prescribes the international form of Indian numerals for official purposes. |
| Article 344 | Official Language Commission | Provides for the constitution of an Official Language Commission and a Parliamentary Committee to recommend the progressive use of Hindi and restrictions on the use of English for official purposes. |
| Articles 345–347 | Official Languages of States | Article 345 empowers states to adopt one or more official languages. Article 346 deals with communication between states and the Union. Article 347 allows the President to recognize a language spoken by a substantial section of a state's population for official purposes. |
| Article 348 | Language of the Supreme Court and High Courts | Specifies that proceedings in the Supreme Court, High Courts, and authoritative texts of laws shall ordinarily be in English, unless Parliament provides otherwise. |
| Article 350 | Right to Submit Grievances | Ensures that every person has the right to submit a representation or grievance to any authority in the language used in the Union or the concerned state. |
| Article 350A | Mother Tongue Instruction | Directs states to provide adequate facilities for primary education in the mother tongue for children belonging to linguistic minority groups. |
| Article 350B | Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities | Provides for the appointment of a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities by the President to investigate and report on safeguards available to linguistic minorities. |
| Article 351 | Development of Hindi | Directs the Union to promote the development and spread of Hindi so that it serves as a medium of expression for India's composite culture while drawing upon other Indian languages and primarily Sanskrit for enrichment. |
Eighth Schedule of the Constitution
In the Indian Constitution's Eighth Schedule, 22 scheduled languages have been mentioned to facilitate the diversity of languages and cultures in India. In 1950, the Indian Constitution recognized 14 languages. After that, the addition of the Sindhi language took place through the 21st Constitutional Amendment in 1967, while Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali languages were added through the 71st Constitutional Amendment in 1992. Later, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santali languages were added through the 92nd Constitutional Amendment in 2003, which increased the number of languages to 22.
Official Languages of States
According to the Constitution of India under Article 345, all the states have the right to choose one or more languages as the official language(s) in the state for the administrative purpose. Because of this reason, India has a multilingual pattern, and each state has its own official language according to the linguistic heritage of the region. For instance, the official language of Tamil Nadu is Tamil, of Karnataka is Kannada, of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is Telugu, of Maharashtra is Marathi, of Gujarat is Gujarati, of West Bengal is Bengali, and so on. Some states like Nagaland still use English as their official language.
Difference Between National Language and Official Language
The national language is the language that embodies the culture and national unity of a nation. It is the official language is the language that is employed in governance, legislation, adjudication, and communication. On the other hand, the language that has been designated as the Official Language of the Union in India is Hindi in Devanagari script, as per Article 343 of the Constitution, and English is used as an official language as per the Official Languages Act, 1963.
Related FAQs
Does India have a national language?
No. There is no national language in India.
Is Hindi the national language of India?
No. Hindi is not the national language of India. Hindi is the Official Language of the Union as mentioned in Article 343 of the Constitution.
How many scheduled languages are there in India?
There are 22 scheduled languages in India as per the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
Why is English used in the offices of administration?
English is used in administration offices, Parliament, courts, and in interaction between the Union and the states. The use of English in official purposes is authorized by the Official Languages Act, 1963 along with Hindi.
In which Article does the topic of official language come?
The Article that deals with the official language is Article 343 of the Constitution. It declares Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union and gives the prescribed form of the Indian numerals.
