$~66 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + W.P.(C) 1951/2026, CM APPL. 9456/2026 & CM APPL. 9457/2026 UMESH SHARMA .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Munish Kumar Gaur, Advocate.

versus UNION OF INDIA & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Jagdish Chandra Solanki, CGSC with Ms. Aishwarya Sinha, GP; Mr. Siddharth Bajaj and Ms. Maanya Saxena, Advocates for R1 & 4.

Ms. Arushi Singh, Advocate for R3/DMRC.

Mr. Sameer Vashisht, Standing Counsel (Civil) with Ms. Harshita Nathrani, Advocate for R5/GNCTD.

CORAM:

HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TEJAS KARIA

O R D E R

% 11.02.2026

1. Mr. Jagdish Chandra Solanki, learned Counsel has put in appearance on behalf of Respondent Nos. 1 and 4, whereas Ms. Arushi Singh, learned Counsel has put in appearance on behalf of Respondent No. 3 and Mr. Sameer Vashisht, learned Standing Counsel has put in appearance on behalf of Respondent No. 5.

2. This Public Interest Litigation Petition has been filed with the prayer to issue a direction to Respondent No. 3 to inscribe the name of Supreme Court metro rail station in Hindi in Devanagari script also.

3. According to the learned Counsel for the Petitioner, at present, at the said metro station, the name inscribed is ‘Supreme Court’ in English and ‘सु ीम कोट ’ in Devanagari script.

4. Our attention has been drawn to Section 2(b) of the Official Languages Act, 1963, wherein “Hindi” has been defined to mean Hindi in Devanagari script. We have also been taken through Rule 11 of the Official Languages (Use for Official Purposes of the Union) Rules, 1976, which provides that all manuals, codes, and other procedural literature, shall be printed or cyclostyled, as the case may be, and published both in Hindi and English in diglot form. The said provision also provides that the forms and headings of registers shall be in Hindi and in English and further, that all name-plates, sign-boards, letter-heads and inscriptions on envelopes and other items of stationery shall be inscribed in Hindi and in English.

5. Section 2(b) of the Official Languages Act, 1963 is quoted hereunder:

“2. Definitions.– In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,–

(b) “Hindi” means Hindi in Devanagari Script.”

6. Rule 11 of the Official Languages (Use for Official Purposes of the Union) Rules, 1976 is also quoted hereunder:

“11. Manuals, Codes, other procedural literature, articles of Stationery, etc.-

1. All manuals, codes and other procedural literature relating to Central Government offices shall be printed or cyclostyled, as the case may be, and published both in Hindi and English in diglot form.

2. The forms and headings of registers used in any Central Government office shall be in Hindi and in English.

3. All name-plates, sign-boards, letter-heads and inscriptions on envelopes and other items of stationery written, printed or inscribed for use in any Central Government office, shall be in Hindi and in English:

Provided that the Central Government may, if it is considered necessary to do by general or special order exempt any Central Government office from all or any of the provisions of this rule.”

7. In view of the aforesaid provisions, it has been submitted by the learned Counsel for the Petitioner that ‘सु ीम कोट ’ is an English word inscribed in Devanagari script and not a Hindi word inscribed in Devanagari script. According to him, Hindi as defined in Official Languages Act, 1963, means Hindi in Devanagari script.

8. His submission is that in place of ‘सु ीम कोट ’, the inscription in Hindi should be ‘सव ायालय’.

9. The learned Counsel for the Petitioner has also sought our attention to a communication received from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (“DMRC”), which is embodied in the letter dated 29.01.2021, which is as under:

“उपरो िवषय म सूिचत िकया जाता है िक “SUPREME COURT” मेट ो ेशन का नाम SUPREME COURT के द् वारा ािवत िकया गया था, िजसको सम आिधका रक कमेटी ने ीकृत िकया। अ ेशनो ं की भाँित “SUPREME COURT”(सु ीमकोट )भी एक मेट ो ेशन है, िजसको देवनागरी म िलखा

गया