Article 343 of CoI : Article 343: Official language of the Union.

Explanation using Example

Example 1:

Scenario: Government Documents and Communication

Situation: A citizen named Rajesh wants to file a Right to Information (RTI) application to obtain information from a central government department.

Application of Article 343:

• Rajesh can submit his RTI application in Hindi, as it is the official language of the Union.
• If Rajesh is more comfortable with English, he can also submit the application in English, as English continues to be used for official purposes.
• The response from the government department can be provided in either Hindi or English, depending on the language used in the application and the department's capabilities.

Example 2:

Scenario: Parliamentary Proceedings

Situation: A Member of Parliament (MP) named Priya wants to introduce a bill in the Lok Sabha.

Application of Article 343:

• Priya can draft and introduce the bill in Hindi, as it is the official language of the Union.
• If Priya prefers, she can also draft and introduce the bill in English, as English is still used for official purposes.
• During the debate, MPs can speak in either Hindi or English, and the official records of the proceedings will be maintained in both languages.

Example 3:

Scenario: Government Notifications and Circulars

Situation: The Ministry of Home Affairs needs to issue a notification regarding new security measures.

Application of Article 343:

• The notification can be issued in Hindi, following the official language policy.
• The Ministry can also issue the notification in English to ensure wider understanding and compliance.
• If the President authorizes, the notification can include the Devanagari form of numerals along with the international form of Indian numerals.

Example 4:

Scenario: Educational Institutions

Situation: A central government-funded university is preparing its official documents, including admission forms and certificates.

Application of Article 343:

• The university can prepare these documents in Hindi, adhering to the official language of the Union.
• The university can also prepare these documents in English to cater to students from different linguistic backgrounds.
• After the initial fifteen-year period, if Parliament enacts a law, the university may continue to use English or the Devanagari form of numerals as specified by the law.