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The Constitution of India in English 2026: page 234

The Constitution of India in English 2026, India Code delivered snapshot ed1820c0a1100c2c, physical page 234, typed edition 223d395df4de00897c78a4c0a752b32348d86f7c4f7013254fd4e03da46ceca0. Unreviewed extraction.

Source: official India Code PDF · catalog record. Fetched 2026-10-19T23:32:36Z. SHA-256 ed1820c0a1100c2c6aa8ece835a8c8a60f996ae7eba30cc1798233683c66cfba.

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Source cover/preface date: 10th September, 2026. Preface amendment statement: Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023. Embedded PDF title: Constitution of India_ 20 MAY 2026 (final).pdf. These are distinct source labels, not currentness or commencement approval.

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                                     PART XVII
                              OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
                       CHAPTER I.—LANGUAGE OF THE UNION
       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:
                                                      e
       Provided that the President may, during the said period, by order1
                                                 od
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
                                              aC
Indian numerals for any of the official purposes of the Union.
                                         di
       (3) Notwithstanding anything in this article, Parliament may by law
                                     In
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.
       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;


1. See C.O. 41.
                                        203

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