Q. Consider the following statements:
1. The Constitution mentions that the Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities must belong to linguistic minority community.
2. In India, the linguistic minorities are determined nationally.
3. The Constitution provides a detailed definition of linguistic minorities.
How many statements given above are correct?
Exp) Option d is the correct answer
Statement 1 is incorrect. There is no condition prescribed in the Constitution that the Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities must belong to linguistic minority community only. The Constitution does not specify the qualifications, tenure, salaries and allowances, service conditions and procedure for removal of the Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities.
Statement 2 is incorrect. In the case of TA Pai Foundation and Others vs State of Karnataka, the Supreme Court held that the status of linguistic minority is to be determined in the context of states and not India as a whole.
Statement 3 is incorrect. Neither the constitution nor any piece of legislation defines linguistic minority. In 1971, in the case of DAV College etc. v/s State of Punjab, the Supreme Court of India defined a linguistic minority as a minority that at least has a spoken language, regardless of having a script or not.
