Strengthening Language Rights in Administration
Tamil Nadu Reinforces Use of Tamil in Government Communication: The Tamil Nadu government has issued a renewed advisory through the Tamil Development and Information Department, urging all state officials and departments to strictly use Tamil in official communication. This advisory was not a new rule but a strong reminder to adhere to existing orders that already emphasize Tamil as the official language of government functioning in the state.
Sent to top officials including Additional Chief Secretaries, District Collectors, and Heads of Departments, the communication makes it clear that Tamil must be used in all forms of correspondence, including circulars, letters, and notes, with very few exceptions.
Existing Orders Reinforced
The advisory draws attention to prior government notifications that clearly mandated issuing government orders and circulars in Tamil only. Any letter received in Tamil from the public must be replied to in Tamil, and even internal notes written about these letters must be in Tamil. This includes inter-departmental communication, memos, and policy drafts.
Signatures in correspondence must also be in Tamil, especially when dealing with citizens or intra-government communication in the state. This aligns with Tamil Nadu’s long-standing linguistic policy to protect and promote Tamil as a working language, especially in government circles.
Role of Translation Division
While Tamil is the norm, limited exemptions for English communication still exist — particularly for documents that need to be shared beyond state borders or with the central government. However, departments at the Secretariat level are instructed to send such English-language files to the Translation Division of the Tamil Development and Information Department, which will render them into Tamil before they are processed or published locally.
This process ensures that Tamil remains the primary language for administrative affairs, while still maintaining operational efficiency for multilingual engagements.
Legal Backing and Cultural Significance
The move is rooted in the Official Languages Act of 1956, which recognizes Tamil as the official language of the Tamil Nadu government. Tamil Nadu has historically championed the use of regional language in administration, especially since the anti-Hindi imposition movements of the 20th century. By reinforcing Tamil’s use, the state continues to uphold Dravidian principles of linguistic self-respect and cultural preservation.
This development is not just bureaucratic housekeeping — it is a statement of identity, governance, and accessibility. The government’s reiteration ensures that citizens can interact with the state in their mother tongue, making administration more transparent and inclusive.
STATIC GK SNAPSHOT
Tamil Nadu Reinforces Use of Tamil in Government Communication:
| Topic | Details |
| Recent Action | Advisory issued by Tamil Development & Information Dept. |
| Advisory Recipients | Additional Chief Secretaries, District Collectors, HoDs |
| Advisory Focus | Use Tamil in all official communication and correspondence |
| Key Instructions | Orders, circulars, letters, and replies to be in Tamil |
| Translation Role | Secretariat files in English to be translated by Dept. |
| Signature Requirement | Govt employees to sign in Tamil |
| Exemptions | Some intergovernmental communications allowed in English |
