Language to be used in Parliament
Quick Summary (TL;DR)
Article 120 (Language to be used in Parliament): Regulates the composition, procedures, privileges, and law-making rules of Parliament under Part V.
In Simple Citizen Words
Article 120 governs 'Language to be used in Parliament' in Part V, Chapter II (Parliament). It lays down the constitutional rulebook for how Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are constituted, how presiding officers (Speaker/Chairman) function, member qualifications/disqualifications, quorum, passage of ordinary and financial Bills, budget grants, and parliamentary privileges. Specifically: (1) Notwithstanding anything in Part XVII, but subject to the provisions of article 348, business in Parliament shall be transacted in Hindi or in English: Provided that the Chairman of the Council of States or Speaker of the...
Key Constitutional Provisions
Constitutional Mandate (Art. 120): Directly codifies the legal rule for 'Language to be used in Parliament' under Part V
Structured across 2 clause(s) with explicit constitutional provisos/safeguards
Requires transparent Parliamentary law-making and democratic accountability rather than arbitrary executive action
Exceptions & Reasonable Restrictions
All Parliamentary legislation and rules of procedure are subject to the provisions of the Constitution, Fundamental Rights (Article 13), and the Basic Structure doctrine.
Why This Matters in Daily Life
Protects democratic representation by ensuring national laws and public budgets are passed only through transparent parliamentary rules.
Want deeper legal & historical context? Explore the official Bare Act or Supreme Court Precedents & CAD Debates: