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Constitution of India · Section Article 394

Commencement

Article 394 — Commencement

366, 367, 379, 380, 388, 391, 392 and 393 shall come into force at once, and the remaining provisions of this Constitution shall come into force on the twenty-sixth day of January, 1950, which day is referred to in this Constitution as the commencement of this Constitution. 394A. Authoritative text in the Hindi language.—(1) The President shall cause to be published under his authority,—

  • (a) the translation of this Constitution in the Hindi language, signed by the members of the Constituent Assembly, with such modifications as may be necessary to bring it in conformity with the language, style and terminology adopted in the authoritative texts of Central Acts in the Hindi language, and incorporating therein all the amendments of this Constitution made before such publication; and
  • (b) the translation in the Hindi language of every amendment of this Constitution made in the English language. (2) The translation of this Constitution and of every amendment thereof published under clause (1) shall be construed to have the same meaning as the original thereof and if any difficulty arises in so construing any part of such translation, the President shall cause the same to be revised suitably. (3) The translation of this Constitution and of every amendment thereof published under this article shall be deemed to be, for all purposes, the authoritative text thereof in the Hindi language.]

Plain English Summary

This article explains when different parts of the Constitution officially started being enforced. Some important parts began immediately, while the rest of the Constitution officially came into effect on January 26, 1950, which is considered the start date of the Constitution. It also deals with making the Constitution available in the Hindi language.

Key Points

  • Certain key provisions (like those related to specific laws and amendments) started immediately.
  • The main body of the Constitution officially started on January 26, 1950.
  • The President is responsible for publishing the Constitution and all its amendments in Hindi.
  • The Hindi translation published by the President will be considered the official text for all purposes.

Why It Matters

This article establishes the legal timeline for when the Constitution became operational and ensures that the foundational document is accessible to the public in Hindi through an official translation.

Landmark Judgements

No major landmark judgements.

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