Official language for communication between one State and another or between a State and the Union.
The language for the time being authorised for use in the Union for official purposes shall be the official language for communication between one State and another State and between a State and the Union:
Provided that if two or more States agree that the Hindi language should be the official language for communication between such States, that language may be used for such communication.
Version 1
Article 346, Constitution of India 1950
The language for the time being authorised for use in the Union for official purposes shall be the official language for communication between one State and another State and between a State and the Union:
Provided that if two or more States agree that the Hindi language should be the official language for communication between such States, that language may be used for such communication.
Summary
Draft Article 301D was absent in the Draft Constitution 1948. A Drafting Committee Member introduced this provision as part of series of Articles on the official language of the Union and States on 12 September 1949. It clarified that English shall be used for official communication between States, and between States and the Union. However, it allowed two States to communicate with each other in Hindi, if they so wished.
A Member suggested that the Draft Article effectively made English the language of communication between States – even though it mentions Hindi. This he felt curtailed the right of States to adopt a language of their choice.
Another Member proposed an amendment to add an entirely clause to this Draft Article regarding the language used in State laws and bills. The Assembly rejected this amendment.
There was no substantive debate around the Draft Article.
The Assembly adopted Draft Article 301D without any amendment on 14 September 1949.