1

REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL NO.459 OF 1997



U.P. Hindi Sahitya Sammelan Appellant


Versus

State of U.P. Respondent



JUDGMENT


R.M. LODHA, CJI.



On 12.11.1951, the Uttar Pradesh Official Language Act, 1951
(U.P. Act No.XXVI of 1951) (for short, 1951 Act) was published in Gazette
Extraordinary and came into force. 1951 Act was passed in Hindi by the
U.P. Legislative Assembly on 27.09.1951 and by the U.P Legislative
Council on 29.09.1951. It received the assent of the Governor on
05.11.1951. 1951 Act is enacted by the State Legislature to provide for
adoption of Hindi as the language to be used for the official purposes and
other matters of the State of Uttar Pradesh.
2
2. Section 2 of the 1951 Act reads as under:
2. Hindi to be official language of the State.Without
prejudice to the provisions of Articles 346 and 347 of the
Constitution, Hindi in Devnagri script shall, with effect from
such date, as the State Government may, by notification in
the official Gazette, appoint in this behalf, be the language
used in respect of the following :
(a) (i) ordinances promulgated under Article 213 of the
Constitution.
(ii) orders, rules regulations and bye-laws issued by
the State Government under the Constitution of India
or under any law made by Parliament or the
Legislature of the State, and
(b) all or any of the official purposes of the State; and
different dates may be appointed for different purposes in
clauses (a) and (b) aforesaid.

A proviso was inserted to above Section 2 by U.P. Act No.9 of 1969. It
reads, Provided that the State Government may by general or special
order, in this behalf, permit the use of the international form of Indian
numerals for any official purpose of the State.
3. On 07.04.1982, an Ordinance called the Uttar Pradesh Official
Language (Amendment) Ordinance, 1982 was promulgated by the
Governor. Section 2 of the Ordinance provided that in the 1951 Act, after
Section 2, the following Section (deemed Section 3) shall be inserted:
In the interest of Urdu speaking people, Urdu language shall
be used as second language, in addition to Hindi for such
purposes as are specified in the Schedule.

Section 3 of the Ordinance provided that in the Principal Act, after Section
3, as inserted by the Ordinance, the following Schedule shall be inserted:
3
1. Entertaining application in Urdu presented by the members of the
public.
2. Receiving documents in Urdu presented for registration with a
Hindi copy thereof.
3. Publication of important Government Rules, Regulation and
Notifications.
4. Publication of important Government Advertisements.
5. Translation of Gazette in Urdu.

4. The above Ordinance was replaced by the U.P. Official
Language (Amendment) (3
rd
) Ordinance, 1983 (U.P. Ordinance 44 of
1983). The constitutionality of U.P. Ordinance No.44 of 1983 was put in
issue before the Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench in Writ Petition
No.285 of 1984 by the present appellant U.P. Hindi Sahitya Sammelan.
This writ petition was dismissed by the Division Bench of the Allahabad
High Court, though by separate judgments.
5. On 07.10.1989, the Uttar Pradesh Official Language
(Amendment) Act, 1989 (U.P. Act No.28 of 1989) (for short, 1989
Amendment Act) came into effect. 1989 Amendment Act was enacted by
the U.P. Legislature to amend 1951 Act. By this Amendment Act, Section
3 was inserted after Section 2 in 1951 Act providing for Urdu language as
second official language for such purposes as may be notified by the State
Government from time to time.
6. In pursuance of the power conferred upon the State
Government to notify Urdu as second official language for specified
4
purposes, the State Government issued a notification on 07.10.1989
notifying use of Urdu language as second official language for the following
seven purposes:

1. Entertaining petitions and applications in Urdu and replies
thereof in Urdu,

2. receiving documents written in Urdu by the Registration
office,

3. publication of important Government Rules, Regulations
and Notifications in Urdu also,

4. issuing Government orders and circulars of public
importance in Urdu also,

5. publication of important Government advertisements in
Urdu also,

6. publication of Urdu translation also of the Gazette,

7. exhibition of important signposts in Urdu.


7. Appellant, U.P. Hindi Sahitya Sammelan (Civil Appeal No.459
of 1997), which had filed Writ Petition No.285 of 1984 earlier before the
Allahabad High Court challenging the constitutionality of U.P. Ordinance
No.44 of 1983, filed another writ petition before the Allahabad High Court,
Lucknow Bench challenging the 1989 Amendment Act and Notification
dated 07.10.1989.
8. This writ petition was heard by the Division Bench comprising
of S.N. Sahay and D.K. Trivedi, JJ.
5
9. S.N. Sahay, J. in his judgment held that the 1989 Amendment
Act and the notification impugned in the writ petition were ultra vires and
liable to be struck down. He, however, observed that the State Legislature
shall not be precluded from making any law in future with respect to Urdu
in accordance with the provisions of Articles 345 and 347 of the
Constitution.
10. D.K. Trivedi, J., on the other hand, did not concur with the
view of S.N. Sahay, J. He, in his separate judgment, held that the 1989
Amendment Act and the notification impugned in the writ petition did not
suffer from the constitutional vice and the writ petition was liable to be
dismissed.
11. In view of the difference of opinion between the Members of
the Bench, the Bench directed the papers to be laid before the Chief
Justice of the High Court for referring the following questions to a third
Judge for his opinion:

1. Whether the impugned enactment can be said to be a
valid piece of legislation within the meaning of Article 345 of
the Constitution?

2. Whether the impugned notification suffers from the vice of
excessive delegation ?

3. Whether the impugned enactment and the impugned
notification are valid and constitutional or ultra vires?


6
12. The Chief Justice of the High Court then referred the matter to
the third Judge, Brijesh Kumar, J. (as His Lordship then was) for answer to
the above questions.
13. Brijesh Kumar, J. answered the questions referred to him as
follows:
(1) That while enacting law to officially recognise a second
language for use in the State, the State Legislature shall
have to consider the provisions of Articles 345 and 347 of
the Constitution by reading them together; the impugned
enactment is, however, valid piece of legislation in view of
the judgment of the Division Bench in Writ Petition No.
285/84.

2) The impugned enactment does not suffer from the
vice of excessive delegation.

(3) In view of the answers given on questions No. (1) and
(2), I find that the impugned enactment as well as the
notification are valid and constitutional.

14. In light of the answers given by the third Judge, the matter
was placed before the Division Bench for appropriate orders on the writ
petition.
15. The Division Bench by its order dated 16.08.1996 dismissed
the writ petition holding as follows:
In view of the learned third Judge, Honble Brijesh
Kumar, J., the U.P. Official Language (Amendment ) Act,
I989 (U.P. Act No.28 of 1989) adding Section 3 in the U.P.
Official Language Act, 1951 is held to be intra vires. It is
further heId that the impugned enactment does not suffer
from the vice of excessive delegation. The impugned
enactment as well as the notification are held valid and
constitutional.

7
In the result, the writ petition fails and is dismissed.
No order as to costs.


16. Aggrieved by the judgment and order of the Allahabad High
Court dated 16.08.1996, the present appellant filed special leave petition.
Leave was granted by this Court on 27.01.1997.
17. On 02.09.2003, the appeal was listed for hearing before a 2-
Judge Bench of this Court. The Bench felt that having regard to the nature
of controversy and the important question of law arising in the matter, it
was appropriate that matter should be heard by a Bench of 3-Judges.
18. It was then that the matter was listed before the 3-Judge
Bench on 29.10.2003. On that day, the Court was of the opinion that the
appeal needed to be heard by a Bench of 5-Judges as it involves
substantial question of law as to the interpretation of Articles 345 and 347
of the Constitution. This is how the appeal has come up before us.
19. Part XVII

of the Constitution deals with official language. It

Part XVII
343. Official language of the Union.- (1) 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.
(2) Notwithstanding anything in clause (1), for a period of fifteen years from the commencement of this
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:
Provided that the President may, during the said period, by order authorise the use of the Hindi language in
addition to the English language and of the Devanagari form of numerals in addition to the international
form of Indian numerals for any of the official purposes of the Union.
(3) Notwithstanding anything in this article, Parliament may by law provide for the use, after the said
period of fifteen years, of -
(a) the English language, or
(b) the Devanagari form of numerals,
for such purposes as may be specified in the law.
8


344. Commission and Committee of Parliament on official language.-
(1) The President shall, at the expiration of five years from the commencement of this Constitution and
thereafter at the expiration of ten years from such commencement, by order constitute a Commission which
shall consist of a Chairman and such other members representing the different languages specified in the
Eighth Schedule as the President may appoint, and the order shall define the procedure to be followed by
the Commission.
(2) It shall be the duty of the Commission to make recommendations to the President as to-
(a) the progressive use of the Hindi language for the official purposes of the Union;
(b) restrictions on the use of the English language for all or any of the official purposes of the Union;
(c) the language to be used for all or any of the purposes mentioned in article 348;
(d) the form of numerals to be used for any one or more specified purposes of the Union;
(e) any other matter referred to the Commission by the President as regards the official language of the
Union and the language for communication between the Union and a State or between one State and
another and their use.
(3) In making their recommendations under clause (2), the Commission shall have due regard to the
industrial, cultural and scientific advancement of India, and the just claims and the interests of persons
belonging to the non-Hindi speaking areas in regard to the public services.
(4) There shall be constituted a Committee consisting of thirty members, of whom twenty shall be members
of the House of the People and ten shall be members of the Council of States to be elected respectively by
the members of the House of the People and the members of the Council of States in accordance with the
system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
(5) It shall be the duty of the Committee to examine the recommendations of the Commission constituted
under clause (1) and to report to the President their opinion thereon.
(6) Notwithstanding anything in article 343, the President may, after consideration of the report referred to
in clause (5), issue directions in accordance with the whole or any part of that report.

345. Official language or languages of a State.- 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.

346. Official language for communication between one State and another or between a State and the
Union.- The language for the time being authorised for use in the Union for official purposes shall be the
official language for communication between one State and another State and between a State and the
Union:
Provided that if two or more States agree that the Hindi language should be the official language for
communication between such States, that language may be used for such communication.

347. Special provision relating to language spoken by a section of the population of a State.-
On a demand being made in that behalf the President may, if he is satisfied that a substantial proportion of
the population of a State desire the use of any language spoken by them to be recognised by that State,
direct that such language shall also be officially recognised throughout that State or any part thereof for
such purpose as he may specify.

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,
9
has four chapters. Chapter I relates to the official language of the Union,
Chapter II, Chapter III and Chapter IV relate to regional languages,

(ii) of all Acts passed by Parliament or the Legislature of a State and of all Ordinances promulgated by the
President or the Governor 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 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 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.
350. Language to be used in representations for redress of grievances.- Every person shall be entitled to
submit a representation for the redress of any grievance to any officer or authority of the Union or a State in
any of the languages used in the Union or in the State, as the case may be.
350A. Facilities for instruction in mother-tongue at primary stage.- It shall be the endeavour of every
State and of every local authority within the State to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the
mother-tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups; and the
President may issue such directions to any State as he considers necessary or proper for securing the
provision of such facilities.
350B. Special Officer for linguistic minorities.-
(1) There shall be a Special Officer for linguistic minorities to be appointed by the President.
(2) It shall be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided
for linguistic minorities under this Constitution and report to the President upon those matters at such
intervals as the President may direct, and the President shall cause all such reports to be laid before each
House of Parliament, and sent to the Governments of the States concerned.

351. Directive for development of the Hindi language. -It shall be the duty of the Union to promote the
spread of the Hindi language, to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the
elements of the composite culture of India and to secure its enrichment by assimilating without interfering
with its genius, the forms, style and expressions used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India
specified in the Eighth Schedule, and by drawing, wherever necessary or desirable, for its vocabulary,
primarily on Sanskrit and secondarily on other languages.

10
language of the Supreme Court, High Courts etc. and Special Directive
respectively.
20. It is apposite here to briefly notice the views of prominent
authors with regard to Part XVII of the Constitution. It is commonly
believed that the keenest controversy in the Constituent Assembly was in
regard to the official language. Shri B. Shiva Rao (The Project Committee
Chairman) in The Framing of Indias Constitution - A Study records:
This issue produced so much heat and gave rise to such violent feelings
that it was felt necessary from the outset to keep it out of direct discussion
in the Assembly. The leaders made every effort to settle it on the basis of
general accord, but often it seemed as though a settlement might not be
possible. It was not until towards the end of the constitution making
process that some kind of agreement could be reached. In Chapter 26 of
this volume, it is further recorded :

Feelings on the language issue developed formidably almost
from the opening of the Constituent Assembly. It was,
however, not the Hindi versus Urdu or Hindi versus
Hindustani controversy that was raised at this time; there
was general agreement that Hindustani might be the name
for the national language. When the question of the setting
up of a committee on the rules of procedure was discussed,
R. V. Dhulekar moved an amendment proposing that the
committee should frame rules in Hindustani and not in
English. The Chairman requested him to speak in English,
as many members could not understand Hindustani; but
Dhulekar not only insisted on speaking in Hindustani but
made the remark that those who did not know Hindustani
had no right to stay in India and were not worthy to be
members of the Assembly. The Chairman cut the discussion
11
short by ruling the amendment out of order and prohibiting
all further discussion'; but the issue was revived when the
report of the committee came up for discussion. The
committee recommended that in the Assembly business
should be transacted in Hindustani (Hindi or Urdu) or
English, but the Chairman was permitted to allow any
member unacquainted with these languages to. address the
Assembly in his mother tongue. The official records of the
Assembly were to be kept in Urdu, Hindi and English.

21. In Vol. IV of the Framing of Indias Constitution Select
Documents, Chapter 13 highlights the provisions relating to Official
Language. It is stated therein that neither the draft Constitution prepared
by the Constitutional Adviser nor the version as settled by the Drafting
Committee contained any provisions relating to official language, but they
contained provisions as to the language or the languages to be used in the
Union Parliament and the State Legislatures. The language issue figured
prominently during the general discussion on the Draft Constitution; and
the sharp differences of opinion which developed in the course of the
debate revealed the extent of feeling which the question had engendered.
Towards the end of August, 1949, Munshi and Gopalaswami Ayyangar
prepared detailed draft compromise provisions for inclusion in the Draft
Constitution. The draft provisions on the official language prepared by
Munshi and Gopalaswami Ayyangar as revised by the Drafting Committee
had four chapters, Language of the Union, Regional languages, Language
of Supreme Court and High Courts etc. and Special Directive.
12
22. Granville Austin in the Indian Constitution Cornerstone of a
Nation, has described MunshiAyyangar formula as half-hearted
compromise. He says that it was a compromise between opinions which
were not easily reconcilable. There were two basic principles behind the
formula, one we should select one of the languages in India as the
common language of the whole of India. The second principle was that
the numerals to be used for all official Union purposes should be what
have been described as the all-India forms of Indian numerals. The
members of the Assembly voted for the Munshi-Ayyangar formula.
23. H. M. Seervai in Constitutional Law of India A Critical
Commentary (Fourth Edition)

has also given a brief historical account of

23.2 The provisions of our Constitution relating to language have raised no serious questions of legal
interpretation, but they have raised serious political problems. It is outside the scope of this work to
describe in detail the various phases of the controversy about language which resulted in the enactment of
Part XVII of our Constitution. Nor is it necessary to do so, for a well documented and vivid account of the
forces at play has been given by Austin in his chapter entitled "Language and the Constitution the Half-
hearted Compromise". The chapter repays study, but its effect may be stated thus: in his struggle for
political freedom, Mahatma Gandhi raised the question of a national language. He described it at times as
Hindi, and at times as Hindustani, but he understood by both a language which was neither Sanskritised
Hindi nor Persianised Urdu, but a happy blend of both, written either in the Devanagari or the Persian
script. However the question of language did not receive much attention till it was forced upon the
Constituent Assembly. On political and psychological grounds there was a general demand for a national
language. But difficulties became apparent when that demand had to be translated into constitutional
provisions. The need for unity among the Indian people was undisputed, and English had supplied that
basic unity by uniting the people of the North, whose language was derived from Sanskrit or Persian, and
the people of the South speaking Dravidian languages which were not so derived. Again, administration at
the higher levels, higher education, the legislature, the law courts, and the professions, all used English, and
the question was which language should take the place of English and when? Till the partition of India,
Hindustani in both the Devanagari and the Persian script held the field. With the partition of India the cause
of Hindustani was lost, though Mahatma Gandhi held that the Indian National Congress ought to stand for a
broad outlook and should stand firm on a language which was spoken by the largest group of people.
Though Hindi was selected as the official language, it could not be described as the national language, for,
it was not the language generally spoken in all parts of India, and though spoken by the largest single group
of people, that group did not constitute the majority of people in India. Besides, there were regional
languages such as Bengali in Bengal, Tamil in Madras, Marathi and Gujarati in the erstwhile State of
Bombay which were spoken by large populations and it was claimed for those languages that they were
more developed than Hindi. Hindi was therefore described as the official language. In the Constituent
13
the language issue that erupted in the course of discussion on the Draft
Constitution. H. M. Seervai states that having regard to the place given
to the Union in our Constitution, the importance of the official language of
the Union cannot be overrated. Drawing the distinction between English
and Hindi, on the one hand, and other languages mentioned in Schedule
VIII, on the other hand, the learned author says:

English was and is a de facto medium of instruction in
various Universities. The Constitution and the Official
Languages Act have continued its use for official purposes
of the Union of India. Therefore, English stands in a class by
itself, because of historical reasons and because of express
constitutional and legislative provisions. Hindi also occupies
a position by itself. It is the official language of the Union of
India and the Constitution contemplates that it should
gradually replace English. Therefore, Hindi is also in a class
by itself. But the other languages mentioned in Sch. VIII
stand on a different footing. The retention of English as a
medium is justified and the substitution of English by Hindi
can be justified for reasons mentioned above. But the
substitution of any other regional language for English
cannot be justified because there would be other languages

Assembly, the protagonists of Hindi were prepared to abandon the basis of consensus on which the
Assembly had functioned; but their extreme methods provoked a reaction and some who had supported
them earlier withdrew their support. The leaders of the Congress party, who formed the government of the
day, counselled moderation, for they were brought in close contact with the difficulties involved in making
the transition from English to an Indian language. It appeared at one stage that the unity which had existed
in the Constituent Assembly would break down on the provisions relating to language. But. at the last
moment, a compromise formula called the "Munshi-Ayyangar formula" was evolved and was accepted
without dissent. It was a half-hearted compromise, for it gave to neither party what it wanted. Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru told the Constituent Assembly, that he would not have accepted Hindi as. the official
language if express provision had not been made that Hindi did not exclude Hindustani, that it was not to
be the language of a learned coterie and that Hindi was to be based on the composite culture of India
assimilating words from all languages. A period of 15 years was provided during which English was to
continue but this was a flexible limit, for Parliament could extend it. The battle over numerals was settled
in favour of "the international form of Indian numerals" a euphemism for Arabic numerals, with a
proviso that after 15 years Parliament might by law provide for the use of the Devanagari form of numerals
for such purposes as may be specified.


14
spoken by large groups of people which are capable of being
the media of instruction in Universities. Since there are large
numbers of people in the city whose mother tongue is
Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Urdu, it
would be difficult to justify the selection of one or more of
these languages as a medium of instruction to the exclusion
of the others, if the principle of selection is that University
education should be in the mother tongue.

24. Acharya Dr. Durga Das Basu, in his commentary on the
Constitution of India, Volume 9, 2011 while dealing with Part XVII under
the sub-title Need for a National Language observes that the Constitution
makers failed to declare one language as the national language of India
and what has been provided in the Constitution is mainly a compromise
between the diverse claims

. Dr. Basu then observes that what has been

provided in the Constitution is not a national language but (a) an official
language for the Union (Articles 343-344); (b) regional official languages
for the States (Articles 345-347); and (c) official language (a) for purposes
of proceedings in the Supreme Court and High Courts and (b) for Bills,
Acts, Ordinances, Regulations, bye-laws at the Union and State level. Dr.
Basu in his treatise quotes the Constitutional Law of India by T.K. Tope
*
,
wherein the author has stated that Hindi has not been accepted as the
national language by the Constitution; the Constitution has not laid down
any language as the national language.

(Reference is made to Granville Austin, the Indian Constitution Cornerstone of a Nation, Ninth
Impression, 2005, Pg. 266)
*
(3
rd
Edition, 2010 at pp. 1113-1114)
15
25. Now, it is time to turn to the two Articles, Articles 345 and 347,
which have fallen for consideration on the issue, whether it is constitutional
for the U.P. Legislative Assembly to declare Urdu as the second official
language through the 1989 Amendment Act once it has declared Hindi as
the official language in 1951 under Article 345 of the Constitution of India.
The submission by Mr. Shyam Divan, learned senior counsel for the
appellant, is that having regard to the special constitutional status of the
Hindi language, where the Legislature of a State by law adopts Hindi as
the official language, two things necessarily follow (one) the State
Legislature is precluded from de-recognising Hindi as an official language
and (two) the State Legislature is precluded from adopting any other
official language. The argument of the learned senior counsel for the
appellant is founded on the premise that Part XVII of the Constitution
constitutes complete scheme with regard to official language. The two key
features of Part XVII, according to learned senior counsel, are: a special
status to the Hindi language and a special role of balancing entrusted to
the President on the sensitive and potentially divisive issue of language.
26. What logically follows from the argument of Mr. Shyam Divan
is that the text of Article 345 gives two options to the State Legislature,
one, adoption of any one or more of the languages in use in the State
(Option 1) and the other, Hindi (Option 2) and once Option 2 is exercised,
the power of the State Legislature gets exhausted. If the argument of Mr.
16
Shyam Divan is accepted, it would mean that the use of the word or
signifies that Option 1 would be available to the Legislature of State only if
it does not go in for Option 2. Once the State Legislature has exercised
Option 2, and adopted Hindi as the language to be used for all or any of
the official purposes of the State, it cannot go down the route of Option 1.
We find it difficult to accept the submission of learned senior counsel.
Merely because Hindi is mentioned explicitly or separately and it is
adopted as official language by the State, we do not think that the
Constitution forecloses the State Legislatures option to adopt any other
language in use in the State as official language.
27. Nothing in Article 345, in our view, bars declaring one or more
of the languages in use in the State, in addition to Hindi, as the second
official language. This can only be at the cost of distorting the provision
contained in Article 345. The significance of the word or occurring
before Hindi is to dispense with the requirement of Hindi being in use,
while the requirement of being in use for any other language to be
declared official language has to be satisfied for exercise of power by the
State Legislature under Article 345. Dispensing this requirement for Hindi
was meant to absorb the adoption of Hindi across States. This cannot be
taken to mean that the particular State Legislature must sacrifice its power
in promoting other languages within the State. The purpose of using Hindi
separately in Article 345 is to facilitate adoption of Hindi across the States
17
whether or not Hindi is in use in a particular State. Any other construction
to Article 345 would be unduly interfering with the language compromise
adopted by the Constitution.
28. Part XVII of the Constitution as its scheme suggests is
accommodative. After all, language policies are constructs and they
change over time.

29. The plain language of Article 345 which empowers the State
Legislature to make law for adoption of one or more of the languages in
use in the State leaves no manner of doubt that such power may be
exercised by the State Legislature from time to time. A different intention
does not appear from the plain language of Article 345. We do not find
any indication that the power can be exercised by the State Legislature
only once and that power gets exhausted if the State Legislature adopts
Hindi as the official language of the State. In our view, the State
Legislature is at liberty to exercise its discretion under Article 345 from time
to time for specified purpose. It does not appear to us that Hindi once
adopted as official language of the State in exercise of its power by State
Legislature under Article 345, the State Legislature ceases to have any law

(Schiffman, Harold. Language policy and linguistic culture. An introduction to language policy:
Theory and method (2006) : 111-125)
18
making power under Article 345. The judgment of this Court in Nasiruddin
1

has no application for the purpose of construction of Article 345.
30. We shall deal with the expression subject to a little later but
suffice it to say here that there are many State Legislatures who have
adopted other officially recognized language(s) in addition to Hindi such as
Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Delhi has
also adopted Punjabi and Urdu as other officially recognized languages in
addition to Hindi. Obviously, this would not have been possible but for the
constitutional permissibility.
31. The position that Hindi has been mentioned separately in
Article 345 in the context of the preceding expression adopt any one or
more of the languages in use in the State is to promote and spread Hindi
in terms of Article 351 though it may not be spoken or used by the people
in the State. Article 345 enables the State Legislature to adopt any
number of languages which are in use in the State for all or any of the
official purposes of the State. It is not necessary that there must be
demand made on that behalf to the State Government or if there is
demand, the State Legislature cannot make law adopting a language in
use in the State as second official language. This is one of the
distinguishing features between Articles 345 and 347. If Hindi is in use in a
particular State then it does not foreclose the States power or discretion to

1
Sri Nasiruddin v. State Transport Appellate Tribunal; [(1975) 2 SCC 671]
19
adopt any language other than Hindi as the official language provided such
language is in use in that State. The use of the word may in Article 345
is not without significance. It indicates that State has discretion in adopting
the language or languages in use in the State and so also Hindi. Such
discretion can be exercised any number of times by the State Legislature
as it deems proper. The only restriction to such legislative power is in
Article 347 in a given situation which we shall explain after some more
discussion.
32. Part XVII of the Constitution titled official language, Mr.
Shyam Divan, learned senior counsel argues, is a self-contained part of
the Constitution akin to a complete Code. His submission is that the
provisions in Part XVII constitute a complete scheme with respect to official
language. We are in agreement with the learned senior counsel to this
extent. He is also right in his submission that Hindi language has a special
status and particularly in Part XVII. In this regard, reference to Articles
343(1), 344(2)(a), 345, 346 proviso, 348(2) and 351 has been rightly
made. The above provisions in the Constitution, in our view, prescribe
larger constitutional charter for Hindi but this position in no way leads to
the conclusion suggested by the learned senior counsel for the appellant
that where the Legislature of a State by law adopts Hindi as the official
language, the State Legislature is precluded from adopting any other
official language. As noted earlier, nothing in Article 345 bars adopting any
20
other official language in use in the State, in addition to Hindi, as the
second official language.
33. It is true that Part XVII specifies the role of the President (or
for that matter, Union Government) under numerous provisions. The
President may respond to a demand for an additional official language
where the requirements of Article 347 are fulfilled. Before directing that a
particular language shall also be officially recognized throughout a State or
any part of the State for such purpose as the President may specify, the
President must be satisfied that a substantial portion of the population of a
State desire the use of any language spoken by them to be recognized by
that State. Article 350B provides a machinery by which the President may
make an assessment with respect to demand of linguistic minorities.
However, we are not persuaded to accept the argument of the learned
senior counsel for the appellant that arrangement in Part XVII of the
Constitution seeks to ensure that the States do not yield to demands for
multiple official languages sequentially and this power is reserved
exclusively with the President (Union Executive).
34. The expression subject to the provisions of Articles 346 and
347 occurring in Article 345 does not make Article 345 subordinate to
Articles 346 and 347 as suggested by the learned senior counsel. The
effect of the expression subject to.. is that any law made by the
Legislature of the State is subject to directions existing, if any, issued by
21
the President under Article 347 when the State Legislature exercises its
power under Article 345. Once the direction is issued by the President
under Article 347, it is not open to the State Legislature to tinker with such
direction in any manner. In other words, the exercise of power by the
State Legislature should not be in conflict in any manner with the directions
that may have been issued by the President under Article 347. The
plenary power of the State under Article 345 is limited to this extent only.
Except to the limited extent as noted above, it is not correct to say that
power of the State Legislature under Article 345 is subordinate or servient
to Article 347. Part XVII must be read as a whole and, in our view, Articles
345 and 347 should be construed so as to make it consistent with federal
structure and so also the other provisions of this Chapter.
35. The law making power of the State Legislature under Article
345 is restricted by virtue of the expression subject to against the
direction issued by the President under Article 347 occupying the field.
Absent such direction, the State Legislature is not prevented in any
manner in exercising its power under Article 345.
36. We have, thus, no hesitation in holding that in the absence of
direction issued by the President under Article 347 of the Constitution,
there is no restriction, restraint or impediment for the State Legislature in
adopting one of the languages in use in the State as an official language
under Article 345 of the Constitution of India.
22
37. As seen above, Article 345 deals with the power of the State
Legislature while Article 347 refers to the power of the President. These
two provisions prescribe a different procedure for making law or issuing
directions for recognising a language as official language. The
requirement, a substantial portion of the population of a State desire the
use of any language spoken by them to be recognized by that State in
Article 347 is not a requirement under Article 345 for the State Legislature
to enact law adopting the language as official language of the State, which
is in use in the State. We do not think that the requirement of Article 347
can be read as a necessary requirement for the State Legislature to
exercise its power under Article 345. We are in agreement with the view
expressed by D.K. Trivedi, J. wherein he said, The only limitation imposed
on the State Legislature under Article 345 of the Constitution of India is
that the said language must be in use in the State and further if any
direction has been issued by the President under Article 347 then the
same will have a binding effect.
38. The criterion for adoption of one or more of the languages,
other than Hindi, in the State is that those languages must be in the use in
State. This criterion must be satisfied at the time the State Legislature
exercises its power under Article 345. The State Legislature cannot adopt
any language as official language if such language is not used in the State.
However, there is no impediment for the State Legislature to declare Hindi
23
to be an official language even if Hindi is not in use in Karnataka. The
reason for this is to be found in constitutional compromise on the linguistic
issue and the larger constitutional charter for Hindi to facilitate the spread
of Hindi across India.
39. Learned senior counsel for the appellant argues that Chapter
II of Part XVII engrafts a unique dichotomy involving the State Legislature
at the State level and the Union Executive (the President) at the Central
level. It provides two routes for designating a language as an official
language in a State; (a) the adoption by law by the Legislature of the State;
and (b) a direction by the President of India. These two routes are
complementary. Learned senior counsel is right in his submission that the
Constitution of India provides two routes as noted above for designating a
language as an official language in a State. However, the inference drawn
by him that where the State Legislature has adopted a language as the
official language, and there is a demand for recognition of another
language which is used by a substantial proportion of the population of a
State, the Constitution provides only one method for designating another
language as the official language, which is through a Presidential direction
under Article 347, is not entirely correct. Insofar as Article 347 is
concerned, the learned senior counsel is right that if there is a demand for
recognition of another language which is used by a substantial proportion
of the population of a State, this could be done through Presidential
24
direction under Article 347. However, he is not right that this is the only
method for designating another language as the official language. If the
construction of the learned senior counsel is accepted, it would restrict and
limit the power of the State Legislature in adopting one or more languages
in use in the State as official language. The curtailment of the State
Legislatures power under Article 345, as suggested by the learned senior
counsel is neither constitutionally sound nor does it flow from the scheme
of Part XVII of the Constitution generally and the scheme engrafted under
Articles 345 and 347. We do not find ourselves in agreement with the
learned senior counsel that a situation where there is a demand for
another official language, Article 347 is the only manner known in the
Constitution to respond to such a demand. In our view, this is
misunderstanding of Articles 345 and 347.
40. In what we have stated above, we are unable to agree with
the learned senior counsel for the appellant that since the Statement of
Objects and Reasons accompanying the Uttar Pradesh Official Language
(Amendment) Bill, 1989 expressly records demand for the declaration of
Urdu as the second language of the State was made from time to time,
the impugned law covers the situation contemplated in Article 347 and,
therefore, invoking the legislative power by the State Legislature under
Article 345 is constitutionally bad.
25
41. A bare text of Article 350 will show that it confers a
constitutional right on every person to submit a representation for redress
of any grievance to any office of the Union or the State in any of the
language used in the Union or the State. Learned senior counsel for the
appellant does not dispute the position that the State Executive may adopt
different languages for the convenience of the citizenry. Obviously, then
the State Legislature shall be within its constitutional power with regard to
field covered by Article 345 to legislate by adopting a language or
languages in use in the State subsequent to the adoption of Hindi as
official language and so also adoption of more official languages. The
exercise of legislative power by the State cannot be said to impinge upon
the power given to the President under Article 347 unless a Presidential
directive is occupying the field.
42. Article 367 of the Constitution is an interpretational provision.
Clause (1) of Article 367 reads:
367. Interpretation(1) Unless the context otherwise
requires, the General Clauses Act, 1897, shall, subject to
any adaptations and modifications that may be made therein
under Article 372, apply for the interpretation of this
Constitution as it applies for the interpretation of an Act of
the Legislature of the Dominion of India.

(2) xxx xxx xxx

(3) xxx xxx xxx

26
43. By virtue of the above provision in the Constitution, the
provision of Section 14

of the General Clauses Act, 1897 applies to the

interpretation of the Constitution and that leaves no manner of doubt that
the State Legislature may exercise its power under Article 345 from time to
time. We do not find any merit in the argument of the learned senior
counsel for the appellant that Section 14 of the General Clauses Act has
no application in the present case since a different intention appears in the
constitutional scheme of Part XVII. We have already explained the
constitutional scheme of Part XVII and so also ambit and scope of Articles
345 and 347. For the reasons we have indicated above, we do not find
any merit in the argument of the learned senior counsel for the appellant
that the power of the State Legislature under Article 345 gets exhausted
after a single use. The argument is constitutionally flawed and does not
flow from Articles 345 and 347. In our view, it will be unreasonable to
construe Article 345 in the manner suggested by the learned senior
counsel for the appellant. It is said that law and language are both organic
in their mode of development. In India, these are evolving through the
process of accepting legitimate aspirations of the speakers of different

14. Powers conferred to be exercisable from time to time.(1) Where, by any Central Act or Regulation
made after the commencement of this Act, any power is conferred then unless a different intention appears
that power may be exercised from time to time as occasion requires.
(2) This section applies also to all Central Acts and Regulations made on or after the fourteenth day of
January, 1887.
27
languages. Indian language laws are not rigid but accommodative the
object being to secure linguistic secularism.
44. We hold, as we must, that neither insertion of Section 3 in the
1989 Amendment Act nor the impugned notification in pursuance of the
above provision notifying Urdu as the second language for seven purposes
is unconstitutional.
45. There is no merit in the appeal and it is dismissed with no
order as to costs.


...CJI.
(R.M. Lodha)


...J.
(Dipak Misra)


...J.
(Madan B. Lokur)


...J.
(Kurian Joseph)


NEW DELHI; ...J.
SEPTEMBER 4, 2014. (S.A. Bobde)



IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL APPELLATE J URISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 2513 OF 2006


Uttar Pradesh Urdu Development Organisation Appellant

Versus

State Election Commissioner and Ors. Respondents


ORDER


In light of the judgment passed today in U.P. Hindi Sahitya
Sammelan v. State of U.P. [Civil Appeal No. 459 of 1997], the appeal shall
now be posted before the regular Bench.

...CJ I.
(R.M. Lodha)


...J .
(Dipak Misra)


...J .
(Madan B. Lokur)


...J .
(Kurian J oseph)


NEW DELHI; ...J .
SEPTEMBER 4, 2014. (S.A. Bobde)