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Home The Constitution Part XVII Article 345
Art. 345 Part XVII: Official Language

Official Language or Languages of a State

Exact text — Constitution of India

Subject to the provisions of articles 346 and 347, the Legislature of a State may by law adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the State or Hindi as the language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of that State: Provided that, until the Legislature of the State otherwise provides by law, the English language shall continue to be used for those official purposes within the State for which it was being used immediately before the commencement of this Constitution.

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

This Article gives each State Legislature its own power to choose its official language(s) for state government purposes — it can adopt any language already in use within the state, or Hindi, and English continues by default until the state legislates otherwise.
Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This is why different states use different official languages for their own government business — Tamil Nadu conducting business in Tamil, West Bengal in Bengali, and so on — reflecting India's linguistic federalism rather than a single imposed national language for state-level administration.

Related Articles

Read alongside this one

Art. 346 — Official Language for Communication Between StatesArt. 3 — Formation of New States
Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 345

Can a state be forced to use Hindi as its official language?
No — this Article gives each state its own choice among languages in use within it (or Hindi if it chooses), respecting linguistic diversity rather than mandating uniformity across states.
← PreviousArticle 344: Commission and Committee of Parliament on Official LanguageNext →Article 346: Official Language for Communication Between One State and Another or Between a State and the Union

The text above reproduces Article 345 of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.