JUDGMENT

R.M. LODHA, CJI.

On 12.11.1951, the Uttar Pradesh Official Language Act, 1951 (U.P. Act No.XXVI of 1951) (for short, ‘1951 Act’) was published in Gazette Extraordinary and came into force. 1951 Act was passed in Hindi by the U.P. Legislative Assembly on 27.09.1951 and by the U.P Legislative Council on 29.09.1951. It received the assent of the Governor on 05.11.1951. 1951 Act is enacted by the State Legislature to provide for adoption of Hindi as the language to be used for the official purposes and other matters of the State of Uttar Pradesh.

2. Section 2 of the 1951 Act reads as under:

2. Hindi to be official language of the State.—Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 346 and 347 of the Constitution, Hindi in Devnagri script shall, with effect from such date, as the State Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, appoint in this behalf, be the language used in respect of the following :—

(a) (i) ordinances promulgated under Article 213 of the Constitution.

(ii) orders, rules regulations and bye-laws issued by the State Government under the Constitution of India or under any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of the State, and

(b) all or any