Notification of Offices under Rule 10 of the Official Language (Use for official purposes of the Union) Rules, 1976

## Report on Notification Regarding Hindi Language Proficiency in Government Offices **1. Executive Summary:** This report analyzes a notification (S.O. 2047E) issued by the Ministry of Mines on April 30, 2025, concerning the application of the Official Language Use Rules, 1976, as amended in 1987, to specific offices within the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). The notification identifies two offices - GSI, State Unit, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, and IBM, Regional Office, Guwahati - as having a sufficient number of staff (more than 80) with working knowledge of Hindi. This report details the policy objective, key provisions, impacted stakeholders, and the likely outcome of this notification. **2. Introduction:** This report aims to provide information about the notification S.O. 2047E issued by the Ministry of Mines on April 30, 2025, as published in The Gazette of India. The analysis is based solely on the provided text of the notification. **3. Policy Overview:** * This notification relates to the *Official Language Use for official purposes of the Union Rules, 1976 as amended, 1987*. * **Core Objective:** Based on the text, the primary objective is to identify and officially notify specific government offices under the Ministry of Mines (Geological Survey of India and Indian Bureau of Mines) that have achieved a certain level of Hindi language proficiency among their staff, fulfilling a requirement of the Official Language Use Rules. **4. Background and Rationale:** This notification appears to be a component of ongoing efforts to promote the use of Hindi in government offices as mandated by the Official Language Use Rules. The notification signifies that these offices have met the threshold of having more than 80 staff members with a working knowledge of Hindi, thus triggering certain requirements or enabling certain processes under the aforementioned Rules. The intent seems to be to increase the applicability of Hindi in official operations in these two branches. **5. Key Provisions / Changes:** This is *not* an amendment; it's a *notification* pursuant to existing rules. The key provision is the official declaration that the following offices meet the criteria stipulated in Sub-Rule 4 of Rule 10 of the Official Language Use Rules: * Geological Survey of India, State Unit, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha * Indian Bureau of Mines, Regional Office, Guwahati The notification, therefore, triggers the application of specific provisions within the Official Language Use Rules within these two offices, likely requiring them to conduct certain official business in Hindi. **6. Target Audience and Stakeholders:** The target audience and stakeholders include: * **The Geological Survey of India (GSI), State Unit, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.** This office is now officially recognized as having sufficient Hindi proficiency among its staff. * **The Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), Regional Office, Guwahati.** This office is similarly recognized. * **Employees of GSI and IBM:** Employees within these offices will be directly affected by any changes in language usage policies as a result of this notification. * **The Ministry of Mines:** As the governing body, the Ministry is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Official Language Use Rules within its attached and subordinate offices. * **The Department of Official Language (or equivalent body overseeing language policy implementation):** They will likely monitor the implementation of Hindi usage in these identified offices. **7. Implementation Aspects (Inferred):** * **Responsible Agencies/Bodies:** The Ministry of Mines, the Geological Survey of India, and the Indian Bureau of Mines are the responsible agencies. * **Timelines/Procedures:** The notification itself does not specify timelines or procedures for implementation. However, it can be inferred that the designated offices will now be subject to any relevant provisions outlined in the Official Language Use Rules regarding Hindi usage in official communications and work. The Rules would be the defining factor for procedures. **8. Expected Outcomes / Impact of Changes:** The likely intended outcomes and impact of this notification include: * **Increased use of Hindi in official communications and work within the GSI Bhubaneshwar and IBM Guwahati offices.** This is the primary goal of applying the Official Language Use Rules. * **Improved compliance with the Official Language Policy.** By formally recognizing offices that meet the Hindi proficiency criteria, the Ministry of Mines demonstrates its commitment to implementing the national language policy. * **Potentially, increased demand for Hindi training for employees within these offices** to maintain or improve Hindi proficiency levels. **9. Conclusion:** The Ministry of Mines notification S.O. 2047E formally acknowledges that the Geological Survey of India (Bhubaneshwar) and the Indian Bureau of Mines (Guwahati) have reached a level of Hindi language proficiency that triggers the application of the Official Language Use Rules. This action signifies the government's continued effort to promote the use of Hindi in official work. The immediate impact will likely be increased implementation of Hindi language practices within these specific government offices.

Key Entities Referenced