The Supreme Court (Indian Polity and Governance) Part-III

Total Questions: 21

21. Under which law is it prescribed that all proceedings in the Supreme Court of India shall be in English language? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2013]

Correct Answer: (d) Article 348 of the Constitution of India.
Solution:Article 348(1)(a) is related to the language to be used in Supreme Court and High Courts for Acts, Bills, etc. It says "All proceedings in the Supreme Court and every High Court shall be in English language.
  • The language used in Courts in India has seen a transition over centuries with the shift from Urdu to Persian and Farsi scripts during the Mughal period which continued in subordinate courts even during the British Rule.
  • The British introduced a codified system of law in India with English as the official language.
  • Post-independence, Article 343 of the Constitution of India provides that the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in the Devanagari script.
  • However, it mandated that the English language will continue to be used for all official purposes of the Union for 15 years from the commencement of the Constitution of India.
  • It further provides that the President may, during the said period, by order to authorise the use of the Hindi language for any official purpose of the Union, other than the English language.