Language in Parliament
Article 120 lets Parliament transact business in Hindi or English, with a mother-tongue exception, and once contemplated dropping English after fifteen years.
At a glance
Article 120 lets business in Parliament be transacted in Hindi or English, with a mother-tongue exception for members who cannot manage either.
Article 120(2) originally sunset the use of English after 15 years unless Parliament extended it by law.
Language in Parliament is governed by Article 120 of the Constitution, which permits business in either House to be transacted in Hindi or in English, while allowing a member who cannot adequately express himself in either language to address the House in his mother tongue with the presiding officer's permission. The provision also originally contemplated that, after fifteen years, English would drop out unless Parliament decided otherwise.
Constitutional Basis: Article 120
Article 120(1) states that, notwithstanding anything in Part XVII (the Part dealing with the Official Language) but subject to Article 348, business in Parliament shall be transacted in Hindi or in English. A proviso empowers the Chairman of the Council of States or the Speaker of the House of the People — or the person acting as such — to permit a member who cannot adequately express himself in Hindi or English to address the House in his mother tongue instead.
Article 120(2) adds a sunset-style clause: unless Parliament otherwise provides by law, after the expiry of fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution, Article 120 was to operate as if the words "or in English" were omitted — meaning Hindi alone would remain as the language for transacting parliamentary business. Parliament has exercised its power to continue permitting English, so this default has not taken effect.
Relationship with Part XVII: Articles 343, 344 and 348
Article 120 opens with the words "notwithstanding anything in Part XVII," which is the Part of the Constitution headed "Official Language." Part XVII's own core provision, Article 343, declares Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union, with the international form of Indian numerals for official purposes. It also provided that English would continue for all official purposes of the Union for a period of fifteen years from commencement, with the President empowered to authorise additional use of Hindi and Devanagari numerals during that period, and with Parliament empowered to extend English's use by law beyond the fifteen years.
Article 344 provides for a Commission on the official language, to be constituted five years after commencement, and later a Parliamentary Committee at the ten-year mark, tasked with recommending the progressive use of Hindi, restrictions on the use of English, and the form of numerals for official purposes.
Article 120 is also made subject to Article 348, which separately requires that proceedings of the Supreme Court and every High Court, and the authoritative texts of Bills, Acts, Ordinances and similar instruments, be in English until Parliament provides otherwise — with State High Courts permitted to use a State language with the President's consent.
Why a Distinct Article for Parliament
Even though Part XVII lays down the general official-language scheme for the Union, the framers created a separate, more permissive rule specifically for the conduct of business inside Parliament through Article 120 — allowing Hindi or English, plus a mother-tongue exception for members who cannot manage either. This reflects that Parliament, as the elected body of the people's representatives, needed a workable rule that would not exclude a member simply because he lacked fluency in Hindi or English.
Drafting History
During the Constituent Assembly's debates, the provision that became Article 120 was taken up as a substitute article moved by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, structured on the same lines as the present Article 120 — permitting Hindi or English, with a mother-tongue exception granted by the presiding officer, and a fifteen-year sunset on the "or in English" language. Members such as Seth Govind Das argued in favour of privileging Hindi as the language for Parliament's business, reflecting the broader debate over the pace of transition to Hindi as the Union's official language.
Significance
Article 120, read with Articles 343, 344 and 348, illustrates a layered constitutional design on language: a general Union official-language framework in Part XVII, a specific and more flexible rule for Parliament's own proceedings, and a further specific rule for the judiciary and legislative texts. The mother-tongue exception under the proviso to Article 120(1) also reflects a concession to India's linguistic diversity even within a scheme built around Hindi and English.
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Article 120 applies specifically to the transaction of business in Parliament; distinguish it from Article 343 (official language of the Union generally) and Article 348 (language of courts and legislative texts). The mother-tongue exception requires the presiding officer's permission.
Mains: Useful for discussing the constitutional approach to language policy, the tension between Hindi and English in official use, and how specific provisions like Article 120 carve out flexibility within the general Part XVII scheme.
FAQ
In which languages can business be transacted in Parliament? Under Article 120(1), business in Parliament may be transacted in Hindi or in English.
Can a member speak in a regional language in Parliament? Yes, if the member cannot adequately express himself in Hindi or English, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha or the Speaker of the Lok Sabha may permit him to address the House in his mother tongue.
Was English supposed to stop being used in Parliament after some years? Article 120(2) originally provided that, after fifteen years from the Constitution's commencement, English would drop out unless Parliament decided otherwise by law; Parliament has continued to permit its use.
How does Article 120 relate to Article 343? Article 343 lays down Hindi as the Union's official language generally, subject to a fifteen-year continuation of English; Article 120 is a specific, separate rule for the conduct of business within Parliament, expressly overriding the general Part XVII scheme.
Does Article 120 govern the language used in Acts and Bills? No — that is governed by Article 348, to which Article 120 is itself made subject.
Quick Revision
- Article 120 — business in Parliament in Hindi or English; mother-tongue exception needs presiding officer's permission.
- Article 120(2) — sunset on "or in English" after 15 years, unless Parliament provides otherwise by law.
- Article 343 — Hindi (Devanagari) is the Union's official language; English continued for 15 years, extendable by Parliament.
- Article 344 — Official Language Commission (5 years) and Parliamentary Committee (10 years).
- Article 348 — English for Supreme Court/High Court proceedings and legislative texts, until Parliament provides otherwise.
Sources
- Constitution of India, Articles 120, 343, 344, 348 — legislative.gov.in
- Constituent Assembly Debates, 17 September 1949 — legislative.gov.in
Further Reference
For deeper reading on this topic and the wider polity syllabus, these standard works are recommended:
- M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity (McGraw Hill) — the standard UPSC handbook.
- D.D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India (LexisNexis) — authoritative constitutional-law treatment.
- The Constitution of India — Bare Act — the official text.
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Constitutional provisions
Language to be used in Parliament — Hindi or English, subject to Article 348, with a mother-tongue exception.
Official language of the Union — Hindi in Devanagari script; English continued for 15 years.
Official Language Commission (5 years) and Parliamentary Committee (10 years).
Language of the Supreme Court, High Courts, and legislative texts — English, until Parliament provides otherwise.