Official Languages Act, 1963
No: 19 Dated: May, 10 1963
THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT, 1963
ACT NO. 19 OF 1963
An Act to provide for the languages which may be used for the official purposes of the Union, for transaction of business in Parliament, for Central and State Acts and for certain purposes in High Courts.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Fourteenth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
1. Short title and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the Official Languages Act, 1963.
(2) Section 3 shall come into force on the 26th day of January, 1965 and the remaining provisions of this Act shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act.
2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “appointed day”, in relation to section 3, means the 26th day of January, 1965 and in relation to any other provision of this Act, means the day on which that provision comes into force;
(b) “Hindi” means Hindi in Devanagari Script
3. Continuance of English language for official purposes of the Union and for use in Parliament.—(1) Notwithstanding the expiration of the period of fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution, the English language may, as from the appointed day, continue to be used, in addition to Hindi,—
(a) for all the official purposes of the Union for which it was being used immediately before that day; and
(b) for the transaction of business in Parliament: Provided that the English language shall be used for purposes of communication between the Union and a State which has not adopted Hindi as its official language:
Provided further that where Hindi is used for purposes of communication between one State which has adopted Hindi as its official language and another State which has not adopted Hindi as its official language, such communication in Hindi shall be accompanied by a translation of the same in the English language:
Provided also that nothing in this sub-section shall be construed as preventing a State which has not adopted Hindi as its official language from using Hindi for purposes of communication with the Union or with a State which has adopted Hindi as its official language, or by agreement with any other State, and in such a case, it shall not be obligatory to use the English language for purposes of communication with that State.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where Hindi or the English language is used for purposes of communication—
(i) between one Ministry or Department or office of the Central Government and another;
(ii) between one Ministry or Department or office of the Central Government and any corporation or company owned or controlled by the Central Government or any office thereof;
(iii) between any corporation or company owned or controlled by the Central Government or any office thereof and another,
a translation of such communication in the English language or, as the case may be, in Hindi shall also be provided till such date as the staff of the concerned Ministry, Department, office or corporation or company aforesaid have acquired a working knowledge of Hindi.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), both Hindi and the English language shall be used for—
(i) resolutions, general orders, rules, notifications, administrative or other reports or press communiques issued or made by the Central Government or by a Ministry, Department or office thereof or by a corporation or company owned or controlled by the Central Government or by any office of such corporation or company;
(ii) administrative and other reports and official papers laid before a House or the Houses of Parliament;
(iii) contracts and agreements executed, and licences, permits, notices and forms of tender issued, by or on behalf of the Central Government or any Ministry, Department or office thereof or by a corporation or company owned or controlled by the Central Government or by any office of such corporation or company.
(4) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) or sub-section (3), the Central Government may, by rules made under section 8, provide for the language or languages to be used for the official purpose of the Union, including the working of any Ministry, Department, section or office, and in making such rules, due consideration shall be given to the quick and efficient disposal of the official business and the interests of the general public and in particular, the rules so made shall ensure that persons serving in connection with the affairs of the Union and having proficiency either in Hindi or in the English language may function effectively and that they are not placed at a disadvantage on the ground that they do not have proficiency in both the languages.
(5) The provisions of clause (a) of sub-section (1), and the provisions of sub-section (2), sub-section (3) and sub-section (4) shall remain in force until resolutions for the discontinuance of the use of the English language for the purposes mentioned therein have been passed by the Legislatures of all the States which have not adopted Hindi as their official language and until after considering the resolutions aforesaid, a resolution for such discontinuance has been passed by each House of Parliament