The Tamil Nadu Official Language Act, 1956
The Tamil Nadu Official Language Act, 1956
The Tamil Nadu Official Language Act, 1956, establishes Tamil as the primary official language of the State of Tamil Nadu. It mandates the use of Tamil for government administration, legislative documents, and judicial proceedings, including the recording of evidence and the writing of judgments. While the Act prioritizes Tamil, it acknowledges the practical necessity of English, allowing its continued use until the government issues specific notifications to transition to Tamil. The Act provides a structured framework for this linguistic shift, ensuring that the judiciary and legislature can function effectively while gradually adopting the state language for all official purposes.
- 1. Short title and extent
- 2. Tamil to be the official language of the state
- 3. English to be continued to be used for official purposes until the Government otherwise direct
- 4. Government's power to notify the official purposes for which Tamil to be used
- 4A. Tamil as the language of courts for recording evidence in all proceedings
- 4B. Tamil as the language of courts for judgments, decrees and orders
- 5. Language to be used in Bills, etc
- 6. Provided that the State Government may appoint different dates in respect of the different items referred to in clauses (i) to (iii).
PDF: pending for this language.