W.P.(C)/7914/2019 of SURJIT KAUR & ANR Vs UNION OF INDIA & ORS

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

+ W.P.(C) 7914/2019

SURJIT KAUR & ANR

.....Petitioners

Through: Appearance not given.

versus

UNION OF INDIA & ORS .....Respondents

Through: Mr. Pankaj Seth, Advocate for R-1.

Mr. Deepak Jain, Mr. Pradeep K.B., Ms. Jaspreet Aulakh, Ms. Anoushka Singh and Ms. Dashampreet Kaur, Advocates. Ms. Jaspreet Aulakh, Ms. Anoushka Singh and Ms. Dashampreet Kaur, Advocates.

Mr. Sameer Vashisht, ASC (Civil) GNCTD with Ms. Harshita Nathrani, GNCTD with Ms. Harshita Nathrani,

Advocate.

CORAM:

HON'BLE THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICEHON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TUSHAR RAO GEDELA

O R R19.12.2024

1.The petitioner has filed the above captioned petition as Public Interest Litigation inter alia praying implementation of Office Memorandum dated 18.06.1977, Office Memorandum dated 06.05.1996, Office Memorandum dated 07.04.2011 and Office Memorandum dated 20.06.2012, issued by the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India for the entire National Capital Territory of Delhi.

2.The said Office Memoranda concerns the use of second official language Punjabi (in Gurmukhi script) and Urdu (in Persian script) on “all Boards, Notice Boards, Sign Boards, Name Plates, Directional Signs and

Hoarding”.

3.It is pointed out that Office Memorandum dated 07.04.2011 was subsequently stayed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Government of NCT of Delhi has also filed copy of the recent Office Memorandum dated 04.11.2024. The said Office Memorandum is set out below:-

“Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi

Art, Culture and Language Department 7[th] Level, C-Wing, Delhi Secretariat, New Delhi No. F.12(25)/2024/ACL/1473-1481 Dated: 04/11/2024

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: The order/sequence of Official languages of languages, other than Hindi and English, recognised for use for Official purposes by the State Government having Hindi as their first Official language, on boards, Sign-boards, Name Plates and Directional Signs, regarding.

"The Delhi Official Language Act-2000" declaring Urdu & Punjabi as Second Official Language has been implemented.

Further, vide OM. No. 1/ 14013/07 /2010-O.L.(Policy-1) dated 07.04.2011, Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India directed to the States in region 'A' i.e. Bihar, Haryana, Govt. of NCT of Delhi etc. that the Boards, Sign-boards, Name-plates and Directional Signs will be written/ printed/ painted/ inscribed/ embossed in Hindi First. The order of the other language/s, including English, will be determined by the Department concerned or the State concerned. The Font sizes of the texts of all the languages will be the same size.

Accordingly, the Hon'ble Lt. Governor, Delhi is pleased to declare the following order/ sequence of the State Official Language including English to write, print, paint inscribe or emboss the information on boards, Signboards, Name-plates and Directional signs in language/s other than Hindi, recognised for use for official purposes in NCT of Delhi:-

(i) Hindi. (ii) English. (iii) Punjabi. (iv) Urdu.

Accordingly, all Government Departments/Offices/ Autonomous Bodies/ Local Bodies are directed to ensure the implementation of "The Delhi Official Languages Act 2000" and the aforementioned order / sequence of the State Languages including English in the same size of font to write, print, paint, inscribe or emboss the information on boards, Sign-boards, Name-plates and Directional signs in language/s other than Hindi, recognised for use for official purposes in NCT of Delhi.

Yours faithfully, sd/-

(P.V.S.S. Subbarao) Dy. Secretary (ACL)/Link Officer”

4.In view of the above, we do not consider it apposite to pass any further orders. The petition is accordingly closed.

VIBHU BAKHRU, ACJ

DECEMBER 19, 2024Aj

TUSHAR RAO GEDELA, J

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