Q. Consider the following statements:
1. The Constitution provides for the use of English for all the official purposes of Union for a period of 25 years from the commencement of Constitution.
2. The Official Languages Act, 1963, provided for the use of English indefinitely for all official purposes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Exp) Option b is the correct answer
Statement 1 is incorrect. The Constitution provides that the English language would continue to be used for all the official purposes of the Union (for which it was being used before 1950) for a period of fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution (i.e., from 1950 to 1965). Even after fifteen years, the Parliament may provide for the continued use of English language for the specified purposes.
Statement 2 is correct. The Parliament enacted the Official Languages Act in 1963 which provides for the continued use of English (even after 1965), in addition to Hindi, for all official purposes of the Union and also for the transaction of business in Parliament. Thus, this act enables the use of English indefinitely (without any time-limit). Further, this act was amended in 1967 to make the use of English, in addition to Hindi, compulsory in certain cases.
