Amit Shah chairs 38th Parliament Official Language Committee meeting

On August 4, 2023, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah chaired the 38th meeting of the Committee of Parliament on Official Language in New Delhi.

During the meeting, they approved the twelfth volume of the report, which will be presented to the President of India.

• Since independence, nine volumes of the report were presented until 2014, and three volumes have been approved since 2019. The twelfth section of the report focuses on Simplification and is prepared topic-wise.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has presented five vows to the country during the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, including respect for heritage and erasing signs of slavery. 

• Amit Shah emphasized that to fulfill these vows completely, the strength of all Indian languages and the official language needs to be demonstrated. Respect for heritage is incomplete without respect for language, and accepting the official language requires giving due respect to local languages.

• Amit Shah pointed out that there is no competition between Hindi and local languages; empowering all Indian languages is essential for the nation's growth. He stressed the need for the acceptance of the official language without any opposition.

Government efforts to strengthen Indian languages:

• In the effort to strengthen Indian languages, Prime Minister Modi initiated engineering and medical courses in 10 languages, with plans to expand this to all Indian languages.

• The acceptance of the official language comes not just from laws or circulars but also from goodwill, inspiration, and efforts. Indian languages and their dictionaries have persevered even after the period of slavery, showcasing a remarkable achievement.

Provision of official language in the constitution:

• Regarding the provisions of the official language in the Constitution, business in Parliament can be conducted in Hindi or English, as per Article 120. 

• Similarly, the language used in the Legislature of a State can be the official language or languages of the State, Hindi, or English, as per Article 210.

• The official language of the Union is Hindi in Devanagari script, and the international form of Indian numerals is used for official purposes, as per Article 343.