Each State Legislature is empowered under Article 345 to adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the State for all or any of the official purposes of the State concerned. But so far as communication between a State and the Union or between one State and another is concerned, the official language of the Union will be the authorised language.
In order to protect the linguistic interests of minorities in certain States, the Constitution has incorporated a special provision. This is in addition to the cultural rights that are guaranteed as Fundamental Rights under Article 29 of the Constitution.
According to this, the President is empowered under Article 347 to direct a State Government to recognise a particular language for official purposes either for the whole or part of the State, if he is satisfied, on a representation made to him in this regard, that a substantial proportion of the population of the State desires such recognition.
This power in the hands of the Centre will help to curb any tendency towards linguistic fanaticism and the domination of a majority over linguistic minorities in different States.