Question

Article 343 of the Indian Constitution deals with:

• A. Official language of the Union
• B. Protection of linguistic minorities
• C. National Language of the Union
• D. Administrative Language of the Union

Hint:

To remember language-related provisions in the Constitution:
- Article 343: Official language of the Union (Hindi in Devanagari script)
- Article 344: Commission and Committee of Parliament on Official Language
- Article 350A/B: Special provisions for linguistic minorities
- No language is declared as the “national language” in the Constitution of India.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

To determine what Article 343 of the Indian Constitution deals with, we need to examine the actual content of this Article.
Step 1: Refer to Article 343
Article 343 states that the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in the Devanagari script. It also mentions that for a period of 15 years from the commencement of the Constitution (i.e., from 1950), English may also be used for official purposes of the Union.
Step 2: Understanding the intent of the Article
The objective of Article 343 is to define the language to be used by the Union Government for official communication and administrative purposes. This Article also led to the enactment of the Official Languages Act, 1963, which extended the use of English indefinitely along with Hindi.
Step 3: Evaluate the options
- Option A: Official language of the Union – This matches exactly with the purpose of Article 343.
- Option B: Protection of linguistic minorities – This is covered under Article 350A and Article 350B.
- Option C: National Language of the Union – The Constitution does not declare any national language.
- Option D: Administrative Language of the Union – While administrative usage is related, the article explicitly uses the term “official language.”
Thus, the correct answer is Option A.