Article 346

Language for Inter-State and Union-State Official Communications

Official heading: “Official language for communication between one State and another or between a State and the Union”

Check this article against the official editionAwaiting human legal review

Source edition: The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator: Part XVII, Article 346, printed pages 205–206
Last human source-link check: Not yet checked
Last human legal review: Not yet reviewed

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1. In One Sentence

Specifies that the authorized language of the Union serves as the medium for communication between States and between States and the Union, allowing States to agree on Hindi.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 346 governs official interstate and federal communications, ensuring an effective medium of exchange across linguistically diverse governments.

The language authorized for use in the Union for official purposes (currently English and Hindi) is the default medium for communication between States and between a State and the Union Government.

Under the proviso, if two or more States agree that Hindi shall be the language for communication between them, they may use Hindi for their inter-state correspondence.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

The Government of Karnataka corresponds with the Government of Tamil Nadu regarding shared river basin management.

Core takeaway: Because English remains authorized for Union purposes, inter-state correspondence between these non-Hindi speaking States is conducted in English under Article 346.

Illustrative Notice: Two Hindi-speaking States (such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan) may formally agree to use Hindi for their mutual communications.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 346 provides a workable communication link across linguistic state borders.

Link language: The language authorized for the Union acts as the default interstate administrative medium.
Bilateral agreements: Allows willing States to adopt Hindi as their shared communication medium.
Protection against barriers: Prevents any State from being compelled to receive interstate communications in a language it has not adopted.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

The language for the time being authorised for use in the Union for official purposes shall be the official language for communication between one State and another State and between a State and the Union: Provided that if two or more States agree that the Hindi language should be the official language for communication between such States, that language may be used for such communication.

Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata

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Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part XVII, Article 346, printed pages 205–206 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource