The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly has become India’s first state legislature to introduce a translation facility for legislative discussions. This initiative aims to enhance accessibility and inclusivity in legislative proceedings by allowing members to express themselves in their regional languages. This pioneering move by the UP Assembly underscores India’s commitment to inclusive governance and reflects broader constitutional provisions aimed at recognizing and accommodating the country’s diverse linguistic landscape.
Key Highlights
First-of-its-Kind Initiative: UP Assembly is the first in India to adopt a translation facility for legislative proceedings, allowing speakers to use regional languages (Awadhi, Braj, Bhojpuri, Bundelkhand) alongside English.
Objective: To improve accessibility and inclusivity in the legislative process by enabling members to express themselves in their native languages, ensuring that language barriers do not hinder effective discussion and decision-making.
Implementation Process: The proposal for hiring translators and setting up the facility will be presented to the Ruling Committee for final approval before being fully implemented.
Constitutional Framework
Article 120 (Language in Parliament)
- Mandates that all business in the Parliament is conducted in Hindi or English.
- Provides the presiding officer the discretion to permit a member to speak in their mother tongue if they face difficulties expressing themselves in the two official languages.
Article 210 (Language in State Legislatures)
- Specifies that state legislative proceedings can be conducted in Hindi, English, and the regional language of the state, with provisions allowing the use of a member’s mother tongue under certain conditions (ex- if they cannot adequately express themselves in the permitted languages).
Official Language Provisions
- Article 343(1): Declares Hindi in the Devanagari script as the official language of the Union.
- Official Language Act, 1963 (Section 3): Ensures the continuation of English for official purposes.
- The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution recognizes 22 languages, emphasizing the country’s linguistic diversity.
- Part XVII (Articles 343 to 351): Outlines provisions related to the official language of India.
Significance
- Enhanced Accessibility: The translation facility will help overcome language barriers, enabling a more inclusive and participatory legislative process.
- Cultural Integration: By facilitating the use of regional languages, the initiative supports the preservation and promotion of India’s linguistic diversity.
- Improved Legislative Efficiency: Allowing members to use their mother tongues can lead to clearer communication and better representation of diverse perspectives in legislative debates.
- Setting a National Precedent: As the first state assembly to implement such a facility, Uttar Pradesh is setting an example that could be emulated by other states and legislative bodies across India.