---
title: "Official Languages Act, 1963 Overview | Model Diplomat"
description: "The Official Languages Act, 1963 allows English to be used alongside Hindi for official Union purposes, easing concerns of non-Hindi-speaking states."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/official-languages-act-1963"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Official Languages Act, 1963 is the Indian statute that provides for the continued use of English alongside Hindi for the official purposes of the Union and in Parliament.
- What constitutional provision empowered the enactment of the Official Languages Act, 1963?
- What did the Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 1967 change?
- Distinguish the status of Hindi from that of English under the Indian framework.?
- Which body reviews the progressive use of Hindi under this scheme?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

The Official Languages Act, 1963 is the Indian statute that provides for the continued use of English alongside Hindi for the official purposes of the Union and in Parliament.

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## Timeline

1. 26 January 1965

   19 of 1963) was enacted by Parliament under the authority of Article 343(3) of the Constitution, which empowers Parliament to provide by law for the use of t…

2. 25 January 1965

   until ).

3. 10 May 1963

   It received presidential assent on and came into force on 26 January 1965.

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In 1965, anti-Hindi riots erupted across Madras State when English was due to lapse as official language, prompting Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's assurances and the 1967 amendment guaranteeing English's continuance.

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