Constitutional text

(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...

Source: Constitution of India, as published by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

History and context

The language question was the most bitterly contested issue in the Constituent Assembly after Partition. A majority supported Hindi but faced fierce resistance from southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, where the Dravidian movement had long opposed Hindi imposition. The 15-year sunset on English was intended as a transition period, but when Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri attempted to implement it in 1965 it triggered violent protests in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The anti-Hindi agitation of 1965 resulted in the government assuring continued use of English, which was formalised in the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 1967.

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Last reviewed: 3 July 2026