Why in news
The Maharashtra government has issued an order making it compulsory for all officials in government offices to communicate only in Marathi.
The order also mandates that all office keyboards include Marathi Devanagari alphabets and requires communication, signage, and advertising in Marathi.
Constitutional Provisions Related to Official Language
Article 345 of the Constitution states that a state legislature can choose one or more languages to be used for official purposes.
This includes the language or languages already spoken in the state, or Hindi.
Article 347 of the Constitution deals with the recognition of languages spoken by a section of a state's population.
It allows the President to officially recognize such languages if a substantial portion of the state's population requests it.
This provision allows the inclusion of regional languages into the official framework of the state, ensuring linguistic inclusivity.
Article 350A of the Constitution requires states to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother tongue for children from linguistic minority groups. This applies to primary education.
Article 351 of the Constitution provides for the promotion of the spread of Hindi as a link language without overriding the linguistic rights of states to promote their official languages.
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