Controversy over the status of Hindi language under the Constitution.

Context:

Recently, Remarks by a Hindi actor to the effect that Hindi is the national language of India sparked a controversy over the status of the language under the Constitution.

Key Points:

• Under Article 343 of the Constitution, the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script. The international form of Indian numerals will be used for official purposes.
• In the constituent assembly discussions, it was decided that English would continue to be used for a period of 15 years.The Constitution said that after 15 years, Parliament may by law decide on the use of English and the use of the Devanagari form of numbers for specified purposes.
• Article 351:It is the Union government’s duty to promote the spread of Hindi so that it becomes “a medium of expression for all elements of the composite culture of India” and also to assimilate elements of forms and expressions from Hindustani and languages listed in the Eighth Schedule.