SSC
The provision that 'the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script' is contained in:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option D — Article 343
Detailed Solution
Article 343(1) says that the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script, and that the form of numerals to be used for the official purposes of the Union shall be the international form of Indian numerals.
Continuance of English:
- Article 343(2) provided that English would continue to be used for all the official purposes of the Union for a period of fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution (that is, until 1965).
- Article 343(3) allowed Parliament to provide by law for the continued use of English after that period.
The Official Languages Act, 1963:
- It provided that English may continue to be used, in addition to Hindi, for the official purposes of the Union and for the transaction of business in Parliament, even after 1965.
- It was later amended to assure that English would continue as long as the non-Hindi states wanted it.
The anti-Hindi agitation:
In 1965, there were large protests in Tamil Nadu against the possible imposition of Hindi as the sole official language.
Other provisions on language:
- Article 345: A state legislature may adopt one or more of the languages in use in the state, or Hindi, as the official language of the state.
- Article 348: The language of the Supreme Court, the High Courts, and of Acts and Bills shall be English, until Parliament provides otherwise.
- Article 351: It is the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language and to develop it as a medium of expression of the composite culture of India.
The Constituent Assembly debate:
The compromise reached on this controversial issue is known as the Munshi-Ayyangar formula.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Article 345 deals with the official languages of the states; Article 348 with the language of the courts and laws; Article 351 with the development of Hindi.
Quick tip
Remember: Article 343 = Hindi in Devanagari as the official language of the Union (English to continue; Official Languages Act, 1963); Munshi-Ayyangar formula.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Important Articles & Schedules Questions
View all ›- Q1.The President is empowered to promulgate ordinances during the recess of Parliament under:
- Q2.The procedure for the impeachment of the President of India is given in:
- Q3.The power of the President to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment is given in:
- Q4.'Protection against arrest and detention in certain cases' is provided under:
- Q5.It shall be the obligation of the State to protect every monument, place or object of artistic or historic interest declared to be of national importance. This is mentioned in:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Important Articles & Schedules — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Important Articles & Schedules, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the important articles of the Constitution that exams test most often, the parts of the Constitution, and the twelve schedules, such as the Seventh Schedule (Union, State and Concurrent Lists), the Eighth Schedule (languages) and the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law). Questions directly ask which article or schedule deals with a subject, so make a table and revise it often. High-frequency examples include Article 112 (annual financial statement), Article 280 (Finance Commission), Article 324 (Election Commission) and Article 368 (amendment procedure). Remember that the Ninth Schedule was added by the 1st Amendment in 1951. Practise the important articles and schedules questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.