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| What is Article 351 of Indian constitution |
Article 351 of the Indian Constitution
Title: Directive for development of the Hindi language
🔷 Explanation of Article 351:
Article 351 is a directive to the Union Government to promote and develop the Hindi language so that it becomes a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India.
✅ Key Provision:
It shall be the duty of the Union to:
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Promote the spread of Hindi, and
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Develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all elements of the composite culture of India,
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By drawing, wherever necessary, on:
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Vocabulary from Sanskrit and other languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
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🟢 Key Points:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Who is responsible? | Union Government |
| What is to be promoted? | The Hindi language |
| How should Hindi be developed? | By drawing from Sanskrit and Eighth Schedule languages |
| Objective | To make Hindi a unifying national language while respecting India’s multilingual culture |
| Type of Article | Directive Principle — not legally enforceable but constitutionally binding in spirit |
📌 Purpose of Article 351:
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To promote Hindi as a national link language.
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To ensure it reflects the diverse cultural and linguistic heritage of India.
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To strengthen national integration through a commonly understood language.
📝 Examples of Implementation:
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Government support for Hindi Sahitya Akademi, Hindi promotion in technology, media, and education.
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Efforts to create scientific and technical vocabulary in Hindi using Sanskrit roots.
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Use of automated translation tools from regional languages to Hindi.
Here is a 🗂️ Summary Chart of Articles 343 to 351 from the Indian Constitution (Part XVII – Official Language):
📘 Summary Chart: Articles 343 to 351 – Official Language Provisions
| Article | Title | Key Focus | Main Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 343 | Official Language of the Union | Hindi as official language | Hindi (Devanagari script) = official Union language; English allowed for initial 15 years (extended later) |
| 344 | Commission and Committee on Official Language | Language planning | Sets up Language Commission (5 yrs after commencement) and Joint Parliamentary Committee |
| 345 | Official Language of a State | State language autonomy | State can adopt Hindi or any regional language for official purposes |
| 346 | Language for inter-government communication | Between State ↔ State & State ↔ Union | English is the default unless states mutually agree to use another language |
| 347 | Recognition of minority languages | Linguistic minority rights | President may direct use of a language if demanded by a substantial population in a State |
| 348 | Language of the Supreme Court, High Courts, Acts & Bills | Legal language | English is default for legal texts and courts; Hindi allowed in High Courts with President’s consent |
| 349 | Restriction on language-related laws | Temporary safeguard | Parliament needs President’s recommendation (based on commission) to change language of laws (first 15 yrs only) |
| 350 | Language for grievances | Citizen rights | Anyone can submit representation to govt. in any language used in Union or State |
| 350A | Primary education in mother tongue | Education rights | States must provide facilities for education in mother tongue at the primary stage for minority children |
| 350B | Special Officer for linguistic minorities | Language protection mechanism | President appoints officer to investigate and report on linguistic minority safeguards |
| 351 | Promotion of Hindi | Language development | Union to promote Hindi by drawing from Sanskrit & Eighth Schedule languages to reflect composite Indian culture |
📝 Notes:
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Articles 343–344: Deal with Union language policy and planning
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Articles 345–347: Address State language autonomy and minority rights
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Articles 348–349: Define judicial language and restrictions
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Articles 350–351: Focus on citizen rights and language development
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