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Home The Constitution Part XXII Article 394A
Art. 394A Part XXII: Short Title, Commencement, Authoritative Text, Repeals

Authoritative Text in the Hindi Language

Exact text — Constitution of India

(1) The President shall cause to be published under his authority,—(a) the translation of this Constitution in the Hindi language, signed by the members of the Constituent Assembly, with such modifications as may be necessary to bring it in conformity with the language, style and terminology adopted in the authoritative texts of Central Acts in the Hindi language, and incorporating therein all the amendments of this Constitution made before such publication; and (b) the translation in the Hindi language of every amendment of this Constitution made in the English language.

(2) The translation of this Constitution and of every amendment thereof published under clause (1) shall be construed to have the same meaning as the original thereof and if any difficulty arises in so construing any part of such translation, the President shall cause the same to be revised suitably. (3) The translation of this Constitution and of every amendment thereof published under this article shall be deemed to be, for all purposes, the authoritative text thereof in the Hindi language. [Added by the 58th Amendment, 1987]

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

Added in 1987, this Article ensures the Hindi translation of the Constitution isn't just an informal courtesy translation — once officially published under the President's authority following this process, it becomes an AUTHORITATIVE text, equally valid as the English version, with the same legal meaning.
Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This matters for anyone reading or citing the Constitution in Hindi — the Hindi text isn't a secondary reference document, it carries the same legal authority as the English original, and if there's ever a genuine ambiguity between the two, the President has authority to revise the Hindi text to resolve it.

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Art. 343 — Official Language of the Union
Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 394A

If the English and Hindi texts seem to say different things, which one wins?
Clause (2) provides for the President to revise the Hindi translation if a construction difficulty arises, aiming to align its meaning with the original — the mechanism is designed to resolve discrepancies rather than treating one version as automatically superior.
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The text above reproduces Article 394A 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.