Constitution Section 345 — Official language or languages of a State

Part XVII — OFFICIAL LANGUAGE — CHAPTER II.—REGIONAL LANGUAGES

Constitutional

Summary

The legislature of a state can pass a law to choose one or more languages that are already spoken in that state, or Hindi, to be used for any or all official business of the state. However, until the state legislature makes such a law, English must continue to be used for all official purposes for which it was used just before the Constitution came into effect.

Official Text

Subject to the provisions of articles 346 and 347, the Legislature of a State may by law adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the State or Hindi as the language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of that State:Provided that, until the Legislature of the State otherwise provides by law, the English language shall continue to be used for those official purposes within the State for which it was being used immediately before the commencement of this Constitution.