Rajasthan

Appearance

Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities ​

Constitutional Provisions ​

  • Originally, the Constitution of India did not include any provision for the Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities.
  • The States Reorganisation Commission (1953-55) recommended its inclusion.
  • The Seventh Constitutional Amendment Act of 1956 added Article 350-B to Part XVII of the Constitution, containing the following:
    • There should be a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities, appointed by the President of India.
    • The duty of the Special Officer is to investigate matters relating to the safeguards for linguistic minorities and report to the President.
    • The President presents these reports to each House of Parliament and sends them to the concerned state governments.
  • The Constitution does not specify the qualifications, tenure, salaries, allowances, service conditions, or removal procedure for the Special Officer.
  • A linguistic minority is defined as a group whose mother tongue differs from the majority in a state or part of a state. They are determined on a state-wise basis.

Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities (CLM) ​

  • The office of the Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities was created in 1957 in pursuance of Article 350-B of the Constitution.
  • He/she is designated as the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities (CLM).
  • The CLM's headquarters is in New Delhi.
  • It has three regional offices at Belgaum (Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Kolkata (West Bengal), each headed by an Assistant Commissioner.
  • The CLM is assisted at headquarters by a Deputy Commissioner and an Assistant Commissioner.
  • He/she maintains liaison with State Governments and Union Territories through nodal officers.
  • The CLM falls under the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
  • He/she submits annual or other reports to the President through the Union Minority Affairs Minister.

Role ​

  • The CLM interacts with the States/UTs on matters concerning the implementation of the Constitutional and Nationally Agreed Safeguards provided to the linguistic minorities.
  • The CLM organisation takes up matters relating to safeguards for linguistic minorities brought to their notice.
  • The CLM personally visits linguistic minority areas and educational institutions for assessment.
  • The CLM holds discussions with Chief Ministers, Governors, and top-level administrators.

Vision and Mission ​

  • Vision: Streamlining implementation to protect the rights of speakers of minority languages to provide equal opportunities.
  • Mission: To ensure that all states/UTs effectively implement the Constitutional safeguards and the nationally agreed scheme of safeguards.

Functions and Objectives ​

  • Functions:
    1. To investigate all matters related to safeguards provided to the linguistic minorities.
    2. To submit reports to the President of India on the implementation status.
    3. To monitor the implementation of safeguards.
  • Objectives:
    1. To provide equal opportunities to the linguistic minorities for inclusive development and national integration
    2. To spread awareness amongst the linguistic minorities about the safeguards available to them
    3. To ensure effective implementation of the safeguards
    4. To handle the representations for redress of grievances