Authorised Hindi translations of Central Acts, etc
Section 5 of the Official Languages Act, 1963 deals with authorised Hindi translations of Central Acts, etc. A translation in Hindi published under the authority of the President in the Official Gazette on and after the appointed day,— (a) of any Central Act or of any Ordinance promulgated by the President, or (b) of any order, rule, regulation or bye-law issued under the Constitution or under any Central The Act came into force on 10 Jan 1965.
(1) A translation in Hindi published under the authority of the President in the Official Gazette on and after the appointed day,—
(a) of any Central Act or of any Ordinance promulgated by the President, or
(b) of any order, rule, regulation or bye-law issued under the Constitution or under any Central Act,
shall be deemed to be the authoritative text thereof in Hindi.
(2) As from the appointed day, the authoritative text in the English language of all Bills to be introduced or amendments thereto to be moved in either House of Parliament shall be accompanied by a translation of the same in Hindi authorised in such manner as may be prescribed by rules made under this Act.
Section 5, The Official Languages Act, 1963 (Act 19 of 1963).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
Referred to by 1
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Smt. Shail Bhatnagar v. State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
DATE-VERIFIED Final Order 2018-12-13 (order-1.pdf; body 'Passed on this 13th day of December 2018' matches index): for Central Model Rules under a Central Act, English remains the authoritative text (Art.348(1)(b) + OLA s.3 continuance of English); OLA s.5(1)(b) makes a President-authorised Hindi Gazette translation the authoritative Hindi text, but does not displace English predominance where the State merely adopts Central Model Rules without its own Art.348(3) Hindi-authoritative State rules — English r.88(7) 'in order of merit' prevails over conflicting Hindi version.
On this section: s.5 authorised Hindi translations of Central Acts/orders/rules — Hindi Gazette text is authoritative in Hindi, yet English remains controlling for Central Model Rules adopted by a State absent Art.348(3) State override.
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 5
What have the courts held on Section 5 of the Official Languages Act?
Smt. Shail Bhatnagar v. State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors. (13 Dec 2018) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: s.5 authorised Hindi translations of Central Acts/orders/rules — Hindi Gazette text is authoritative in Hindi, yet English remains controlling for Central Model Rules adopted by a State absent Art.348(3) State override.
How do I find court cases under Section 5 of the Official Languages Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Official Languages Act 1963 5, section 5 Official Languages Act 1963, section 5 of the Official Languages Act. People searching for it also type official language act 1976 rule 5. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Smt. Shail Bhatnagar v. State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors. (13 Dec 2018).
What should I read with Section 5 of the Official Languages Act, and has it changed?
1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it.
When did Section 5 of the Official Languages Act come into force?
Section 5 of the Official Languages Act, cited as Official Languages Act 1963 5, came into force on 10 Jan 1965, having been enacted on 10 May 1963. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 3. Continuance of English language for official purposes of the Union and for use in Parliament703 words
- 4. Committee on Official Language230 words
- 8. Power to make rules153 words
- 6. Authorised Hindi translation of State Acts in certain cases115 words
- 7. Optional use of Hindi or other official language in judgments, etc., of High Courts101 words
- 1. Short title and commencement63 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 21 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.