The constitutional officer charged with investigating all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities and reporting to the President.
- Constitutional office under Article 350B, inserted by the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956.
- Appointed by the President; popularly designated as the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, with headquarters at Allahabad (Prayagraj) and regional offices.
- Investigates all matters relating to the safeguards for linguistic minorities under the Constitution and reports to the President.
- The President places these reports before each House of Parliament and sends them to the State Governments concerned.
- Related safeguards include Article 350A (instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage) and Article 29 (protection of distinct language, script and culture).
Article 350B, the 7th Amendment of 1956 and the link to Articles 350A and 29 are standard minority-rights and federalism facts, often missed because the office is obscure.
The Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities is a constitutional office (Art 350B), unlike the statutory National Commission for Minorities; it deals with linguistic, not religious, minorities.
Art 350B constitutional officer (7th Amendment, 1956) safeguarding linguistic minorities and reporting to the President.