Authoritative Text of the Constitution in Hindi, introduced through the 58th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1987 by inserting Article 394-A in Part XXII. Important for UPSC Polity and competitive exams.

The 58th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1987 introduced Article 394-A into the Indian Constitution, ensuring an authoritative Hindi text of the Constitution and its amendments. This was significant for legal processes, governance, and polity students as it gave equal status to Hindi alongside English in constitutional matters.

Authoritative Hindi Text of the Constitution under the 58th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1987

• Key Provisions of Article 394-A

  • Publication of Constitution in Hindi

    • The President must publish an official Hindi translation of the Constitution under his authority.
    • (i) The translation may be modified to align with the language, style, and terminology used in authoritative Hindi versions of Central Acts.
    • (ii) All constitutional amendments made before the Hindi text’s publication must be incorporated in it.

  • Translation of Constitutional Amendments

    • Each amendment passed in English must also be officially translated into Hindi.

  • Equal Meaning and Authority

    • The Hindi translation of the Constitution and its amendments is to be construed as having the same meaning as the English text.
    • If interpretational difficulties arise, the President may direct necessary revisions in the Hindi version.

  • Authoritative Status

    • The Hindi translation of the Constitution and its amendments shall be considered the authoritative text for all official and legal purposes.

• Reasons Behind the 58th Constitutional Amendment

  • Originally, the Constitution adopted on 26 November 1949 was in English, though a Hindi translation signed by the Constituent Assembly was published in 1950.
  • There was a longstanding demand for an authoritative Hindi version that incorporated all subsequent amendments.
  • Legal necessity also required such a version for judicial and administrative functioning.
  • The Hindi version needed to conform to:
    • (a) The translation issued by the Constituent Assembly in 1950.
    • (b) The terminology and style used in official Hindi versions of Central Acts.
  • Thus, the 58th Amendment Act empowered the President to publish an authoritative Hindi text of the Constitution and its amendments.

• Implementation of Article 394-A

  • Pursuant to Article 394-A, the President officially published the authoritative Hindi text of the Constitution of India in the Gazette of India.