66th Anniversary of the 1960 Presidential Order: The Evolution of India’s Official Language Policy

The 66th anniversary of the 1960 Presidential Order on Official Language marks a significant milestone in India’s journey of post-independence consolidation. Issued by President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the order was a response to the recommendations of the First Official Language Commission (Kher Commission, 1955) and the subsequent report by a Joint Parliamentary Committee. It represents a pivotal moment in resolving the 'National Language Question' that threatened to polarize the young republic along linguistic lines.

At the heart of the 1960 Order was a pragmatic compromise. While Article 343 of the Constitution declared Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union, it also provided for the continued use of English for a period of 15 years (until 1965). As this deadline approached, anxieties grew in non-Hindi speaking states, particularly in South India, regarding the potential imposition of Hindi. The 1960 Presidential Order acted as a stabilizing force, directing the government to prepare for the progressive use of Hindi while ensuring that English remained an associate language for administrative and judicial purposes.

This policy framework eventually led to the enactment of the Official Languages Act, 1963, which formally allowed the continued use of English alongside Hindi for an indefinite period. For governance, this dual-language approach ensured administrative continuity and prevented the alienation of diverse linguistic groups. It reflected the 'Nehruvian' approach of consensus-building, prioritizing national integration over linguistic uniformity. In contemporary society, this policy continues to underpin the 'Three-Language Formula' in education and the bilingual nature of central administration, balancing the promotion of an indigenous link language with the global utility of English.