Supreme Court dismisses plea on Hindi adoption as official language

The Supreme Court has declined to entertain a petition requesting the formation of a dedicated panel to study the adoption of Hindi as the official language of India's apex court.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, dismissed the plea, noting that language-related institutional reforms are already being examined through administrative channels.

The bench observed that matters concerning linguistic changes within the court's functioning fall primarily within the domain of administrative decision-making rather than judicial intervention. The judges emphasized that such reforms cannot be effectuated through court orders alone.

The decision underscores the court's position that while language modernization may be a subject of administrative consideration, it requires processes distinct from litigation. The bench's ruling suggests that any substantive shifts in the court's language policies would need to emerge from the institution's own administrative mechanisms and deliberations.

The dismissal comes as India continues to grapple with questions surrounding the role of Hindi and regional languages in legal and administrative systems, a longstanding constitutional debate in the country.