Section 34: Official language or languages of Union territory and language or languages to be used in Legislative Assemblythereof

(1) The Legislative Assembly of [the Union territory] may by law adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the Union territory or Hindi as the official language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of the Union territory:

Provided that so long as the Legislative Assembly of the Union territory of Pondicherry does not decide otherwise, the French language shall continue to be used as an official language of that Union territory for the same official purposes for which it was being used in that territory immediately before the commencement of this Act:

Provided further that the President may by order direct—

(i) that the official language of the Union shall be adopted for such of the official purposes of the Union territory as may be specified in the order;

(ii) that any other language shall also be adopted throughout the Union territory or such part thereof for such of the official purposes of the Union territory as may be specified in the order, if the President is satisfied that a substantial proportion of the population of the Union territory desires the use of that other language for all or any of such purposes.

(2) The business in the Legislative Assembly of [the Union territory] shall be transacted in the official language or languages of the Union territory or in Hindi or in English:

Provided that the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly or person acting as such, as the case may be, may permit any member who cannot adequately express himself in any of the languages aforesaid to address the Assembly in his mother-tongue.