New Delhi: On the occasion of International Mother Language Day, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Saturday released updated editions of the Constitution of India in Gujarati and Tamil, along with the latest version of the Legal Glossary (English-Hindi).

The release took place at a special function at the Vice President’s Enclave, marking a significant step towards enhancing the linguistic accessibility of India’s foundational legal document.

According to an official communication, the initiative aims to make the Constitution more accessible to citizens in their mother tongues, thereby strengthening democratic participation and awareness of constitutional values across diverse linguistic communities.

PM Modi highlights linguistic inclusivity

In a message read out during the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the importance of linguistic inclusivity in ensuring wider public access to the Constitution and the country’s laws. He appreciated the Legislative Department’s efforts in publishing updated constitutional texts in Gujarati and Tamil and in preparing the Legal Glossary using simple and easily understandable Hindi terminology.

Arjun Ram Meghwal recalls the language movement

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal commended the department’s work and underlined the historical importance of International Mother Language Day.

He referred to the 1952 language movement in East Pakistan, where people protested to protect the Bengali language against the imposition of Urdu. Citing resolutions of UNESCO and the United Nations, including the declaration of 2008 as the International Year of Languages, he emphasised the global significance of preserving linguistic diversity.

Meghwal also mentioned that the first Santhali version of the Constitution was released by the President on December 25, 2025, and noted her appreciation for expanding access to the Constitution in regional languages.

Constitution translated into multiple Indian languages

Secretary, Legislative Department, Dr Rajiv Mani, said the department has been consistently working to translate and update the Constitution in multiple Indian languages.

He highlighted the release of the Gujarati and Tamil editions along with the 8th edition of the Legal Glossary (English-Hindi), and noted that the Constitution has now been translated into several regional languages, including Santhali.

He acknowledged the efforts of the Regional Languages Unit, the Official Languages Wing and officials of the Legislative Department in completing the project.

The release of the Constitution in Gujarati and Tamil on International Mother Language Day underscores the government’s push to promote linguistic diversity, improve legal awareness and ensure that constitutional provisions are accessible to citizens in their native languages.

ANI