Official Language

1. The Constitution of India initially permitted the use of English language for all official purposes for a period of: [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2023]

(a) 10 years
(b) 20 years
(c) 5 years
(d) 15 years

Correct Answer: (d) 15 years

Solution:According to Article 343 clause (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 and according, to Article 343 clause (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.

2. Which Article of Indian Constitution provides the procedure for adoption of official Language or Languages of the State? [R.A.S./R.T.S.(Pre) 2013]

(a) 343
(b) 344
(c) 345
(d) 346

Correct Answer: (c) 345

Solution:Article 345 of the Indian Constitution provides the procedure for the adoption of official language or languages of the State. According to this Article, subject to the provisions of Article 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. Article 343 provides for the official language of the Union. Article 344 deals with the commission and committee of parliament on official language. Article 346 provides for official language for communication between one State and another or between a State and the Union.

3. Which one of the following is correct about the languages mentioned in the Constitution of India? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2016]

(a) State can compel the linguistic minorities to choose their mother tongue as a medium of instruction in primary schools.
(b) 'Angika' is now included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
(c) Hindi is National language of India.
(d) Bodo is a recognized language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

Correct Answer: (d) Bodo is a recognized language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

Solution:Bodo is a recognized language mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Bodo was included by 92nd Amendment Act, 2003 while other options are not correctly related to the languages mentioned in the Constitution of India. According to Article 343, Hindi is the official language of the Union not the national language of India.

4. Which Article of the Constitution provides that every state shall endeavour to provide an adequate facility for instruction in mother-tongue at primary stage of education? [U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2002, 2003, U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2002, I.A.S. (Pre) 2001]

(a) Article 349
(b) Article 350
(c) Article 350-A
(d) Article 351

Correct Answer: (c) Article 350-A

Solution:According to Article 350 A it shall be the endeavour of every State and 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 (7. Amendment Act, 1956).

5. Under Article 344 of Indian Constitution, the first 'Official Language Commission' was established- [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1998]

(a) In 1950 under the Chairmanship of K.M. Munshi
(b) In 1955 Under the Chairmanship of B.G. Kher
(c) In 1960 under the Chairmanship of M.C. Chagala
(d) In 1965 under the Chairmanship of Humayun Kabir

Correct Answer: (b) In 1955 Under the Chairmanship of B.G. Kher

Solution:According to Article 344 of the Indian Constitution, Dr. Rajendra Prasad appointed the First Official Language Commission under the chairmanship of B. G. Kher on 7 June, 1955. The Commission submitted its report in 1956. It recommended a number of steps to replace English with Hindi eventually. The Parliamentary Committee on Official Language, chaired by Govind Ballabh Pant was constituted in 1957 to review the Kher Commissions report.

6. Which of the following languages was added in the eighth schedule of the Constitution in 2003? [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2005]

(a) Konkani
(b) Sindhi
(c) Manipuri
(d) Santhali

Correct Answer: (d) Santhali

Solution:Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution recognizes 22 regional languages as the official language of the Union. Originally, there were only fourteen languages in this Schedule, the fifteenth language, Sindhi, was added by the 21. Constitution Amendment in 1967, and three languages, Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali, were added by the 71- Amendment in August 1992. *Four more languages Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali, were added by the 92- Amendment Act, 2003. *Thus, there are total 22 languages included in the eighth schedule: 1. Assamese 2. Bengali 3. Bodo 4. Dogri 5. Gujarati 6. Hindi 7. Kannada 8. Kashmiri 9. Malayalam 10. Maithili 11. Marathi 12. Oriya 13. Panjabi 14. Sanskrit 15. Sindhi 16. Tamil 17. Telugu 18. Santali 19. Urdu 20. Konkani 21. Manipuri and 22. Nepali.

7. Under which one of the following Constitutional Amendment Acts, four languages were added to the languages under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Thereby raising their number to 22? [I.A.S. (Pre) 2007]

(a) Constitution (90th Amendment) Act
(b) Constitution (91st Amendment) Act
(c) Constitution (92nd Amendment) Act
(d) Constitution (93rd Amendment) Act

Correct Answer: (c) Constitution (92nd Amendment) Act

Solution:Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution recognizes 22 regional languages as the official language of the Union. Originally, there were only fourteen languages in this Schedule, the fifteenth language, Sindhi, was added by the 21. Constitution Amendment in 1967, and three languages, Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali, were added by the 71- Amendment in August 1992. *Four more languages Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali, were added by the 92- Amendment Act, 2003. *Thus, there are total 22 languages included in the eighth schedule: 1. Assamese 2. Bengali 3. Bodo 4. Dogri 5. Gujarati 6. Hindi 7. Kannada 8. Kashmiri 9. Malayalam 10. Maithili 11. Marathi 12. Oriya 13. Panjabi 14. Sanskrit 15. Sindhi 16. Tamil 17. Telugu 18. Santali 19. Urdu 20. Konkani 21. Manipuri and 22. Nepali.

8. Which of the following languages is not included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2005]

(a) Urdu
(b) Nepali
(c) Konkani
(d) Bhojpuri

Correct Answer: (d) Bhojpuri

Solution:Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution recognizes 22 regional languages as the official language of the Union. Originally, there were only fourteen languages in this Schedule, the fifteenth language, Sindhi, was added by the 21. Constitution Amendment in 1967, and three languages, Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali, were added by the 71- Amendment in August 1992. *Four more languages Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali, were added by the 92- Amendment Act, 2003. *Thus, there are total 22 languages included in the eighth schedule: 1. Assamese 2. Bengali 3. Bodo 4. Dogri 5. Gujarati 6. Hindi 7. Kannada 8. Kashmiri 9. Malayalam 10. Maithili 11. Marathi 12. Oriya 13. Panjabi 14. Sanskrit 15. Sindhi 16. Tamil 17. Telugu 18. Santali 19. Urdu 20. Konkani 21. Manipuri and 22. Nepali.

9. Which of the following languages has been added to Eighth Schedule by Constitutional Amendment? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1990]

Correct Answer: (e) b and d

Solution:Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution recognizes 22 regional languages as the official language of the Union. Originally, there were only fourteen languages in this Schedule, the fifteenth language, Sindhi, was added by the 21. Constitution Amendment in 1967, and three languages, Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali, were added by the 71- Amendment in August 1992. *Four more languages Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali, were added by the 92- Amendment Act, 2003. *Thus, there are total 22 languages included in the eighth schedule: 1. Assamese 2. Bengali 3. Bodo 4. Dogri 5. Gujarati 6. Hindi 7. Kannada 8. Kashmiri 9. Malayalam 10. Maithili 11. Marathi 12. Oriya 13. Panjabi 14. Sanskrit 15. Sindhi 16. Tamil 17. Telugu 18. Santali 19. Urdu 20. Konkani 21. Manipuri and 22. Nepali.

10. Which of the following is not included in Eighth Schedule of our Constitution? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1993]

(a) Gujrati
(b) Kashmiri
(c) Rajasthani
(d) Dogri

Correct Answer: (c) Rajasthani

Solution:Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution recognizes 22 regional languages as the official language of the Union. Originally, there were only fourteen languages in this Schedule, the fifteenth language, Sindhi, was added by the 21. Constitution Amendment in 1967, and three languages, Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali, were added by the 71- Amendment in August 1992. *Four more languages Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali, were added by the 92- Amendment Act, 2003. *Thus, there are total 22 languages included in the eighth schedule: 1. Assamese 2. Bengali 3. Bodo 4. Dogri 5. Gujarati 6. Hindi 7. Kannada 8. Kashmiri 9. Malayalam 10. Maithili 11. Marathi 12. Oriya 13. Panjabi 14. Sanskrit 15. Sindhi 16. Tamil 17. Telugu 18. Santali 19. Urdu 20. Konkani 21. Manipuri and 22. Nepali.