THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
CHAPTER III.—LANGUAGE OF THE SUPREME COURT,
HIGH COURTS, ETC.
- 348.Language to be used in the Supreme Court and in the High
Courts and for Acts, Bills, etc.—(1) Notwithstanding anything in the
foregoing provisions of this Part, until Parliament by law otherwise provides—
(a) all proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court,
(b) the authoritative texts—
(i) of all Bills to be introduced or amendments thereto to be
moved in either House of Parliament or in the House or either
House of the Legislature of a State,
(ii) of all Acts passed by Parliament or the Legislature of a
State and of all Ordinances promulgated by the President or the
Governor 1 of a State, and (iii) of all orders, rules, regulations and - bye-laws issued under this Constitution or under any law made by
- Parliament or the Legislature of a State, shall be in the English language.
- (2) Notwithstanding anything in sub-clause (a) of clause (1), the Governor
- of a State may, with the previous consent of the President,
authorise the use of the Hindi language, or any other language used for any
official purposes of the State, in proceedings in the High Court having its
principal seat in that State:
Provided that nothing in this clause shall apply to any judgment, decree
or order passed or made by such High Court.
(3) Notwithstanding anything in sub-clause (b) of clause (1), where the
Legislature of a State has prescribed any language other than the English
language for use in Bills introduced in, or Acts passed by, the Legislature of the
State or in Ordinances promulgated by the Governor 1 of the State or in any
order, rule, regulation or bye-law referred to in paragraph (iii) of that sub-clause,
a translation of the same in the English language published under the authority of
the Governor 1 of the State in the Official Gazette of that State shall be
deemed to be the authoritative text thereof in the English language under this
article.
- 349.Special procedure for enactment of certain laws relating to
language.—During the period of fifteen years from the commencement of this
Constitution, no Bill or amendment making provision for the language to be
used for any of the purposes mentioned in clause (1) of article 348 shall be
introduced or moved in either House of Parliament without the previous
sanction of the President, and the President shall not give his sanction to the
introduction of any such Bill or the moving of any such amendment except
after he has taken into consideration the recommendations of the Commission
constituted under clause (1) of article 344 and the report of the Committee
constituted under clause (4) of that article.