Understanding Official Languages in the Indian Constitution

The question asks about the specific Article in the Indian Constitution that allowed the continued use of the English language for official purposes, alongside Hindi, for a period of fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution.

The Indian Constitution addresses the official language of the Union and the states in Part XVII. This part contains Articles 343 to 351. Let's examine the relevant articles provided in the options:

Article 343: Official Language of the Union

Article 343 is central to understanding the official language policy of India. It states:

• The official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script.
• The form of numerals to be used for the official purposes of the Union shall be the international form of Indian numerals.
• However, Article 343(2) made a crucial provision: for a period of fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution, the English language shall continue to be used for all the official purposes of the Union for which it was being used immediately before such commencement.
• Furthermore, Article 343(3) allows Parliament to provide by law for the use, after the said period of fifteen years, of the English language, or the Devanagari form of numerals, for such purposes as may be specified in the law. This led to the enactment of the Official Languages Act, 1963, which allowed for the indefinite use of English alongside Hindi for official purposes.

Thus, the provision for the use of English alongside Hindi for fifteen years was explicitly made in Article 343.

Examining Other Options

Let's briefly look at the other options to understand why they are not the correct answer:

• Article 351: This article deals with the directive for the development of the Hindi language. It enjoins the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language and to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India. It does not make provision for the use of English.
• Article 344: This article deals with the Commission and Committee of Parliament on official language. It provides for the constitution of a Commission by the President after five years and subsequently after ten years from the commencement of the Constitution to make recommendations regarding the use of Hindi and restrictions on the use of English for official purposes. It establishes the mechanism for reviewing the language situation but doesn't make the initial provision for English use.
• Article 348: This article deals with the language to be used in the Supreme Court and in the High Courts and for Acts, Bills, etc. It states that until Parliament by law otherwise provides, the language of all proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court shall be in English. It also mandates English for the authoritative texts of Bills, Acts, Ordinances, Rules, Regulations, and Bye-laws. While it addresses the use of English in specific contexts, it is not the article that provided for the general use of English alongside Hindi for Union's official purposes for the initial fifteen years.

Based on the analysis of the articles, Article 343 is the one that specifically provided for the continued use of English, alongside Hindi, for the official purposes of the Union for fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution.

The final answer is Article 343.

Revision Table: Key Articles on Official Languages

Additional Information on Official Languages in India

The linguistic landscape of India is very diverse, and the issue of official languages was a significant topic during the making of the Constitution. The compromise reached involved declaring Hindi as the principal official language of the Union while allowing the use of English to continue for a transitional period.

The Official Languages Act, 1963, was enacted by Parliament as permitted by Article 343(3). This Act allowed for the continued use of English for official purposes even after the initial fifteen-year period expired (in 1965). It further provided for the use of both Hindi and English for certain specified purposes. This act is crucial because it ensures the continued use of English alongside Hindi, addressing concerns from non-Hindi speaking regions.