(XIII) APPENDIX M MEMORANDUM ON SUPPLEMENTARY ITEM : ADOPTION OF INTERNATIONAL FORM OF NUMERALS (INDIAN) FOR ALL PURPOSES
At the last meeting of the Advisory Board of Scientific and Technological Terminology held at New Delhi on 6th November, 1960, the question of adoption of the international form of numerals (Indian) for scientific and statistical purposes was considered. During the course of discussions, the Education Minister, Madras suggested that the international numerals should be adopted not only for scientific and statistical purposes but for all purposes. While it was decided to adopt the international numerals for scientific, technical and statistical publications, it was left to the Central Advisory Board of Education to decide upon the larger question of adopting such form of numerals for all purposes.
The matter is, therefore, placed before the Central Advisory Board of Education for their consideration. In this connection a note, received from the Madras Government which forms the basis of discussion is given herewith (Note 1 that follows).
For purposes of reference, extracts from the Report of the Official Language Commission (Note 2), Committee of Parliament on Official Language (Note 3) and Order made by President (Note 4) are also given herewith.
NOTE 1
on
Adoption of international form of (Indian) numerals for all
purposes The Official Language Commission have recorded in their report that a large number of States have expressed in reply to the Commission's questionnaire the view that the international form of numerals may continue to be exclusively used along with Hindi in Devanagari script as the language of the Union. The Commission have also expressed the view that the fact that the international form of Indian numerals has been widely adopted in current practice for the regional scripts for the languages of the South and the Constitutional provision that this form of numerals should he used for the purpose of the Union and for purposes of inter-State communication, mark it out for universal adoption in the country by public authorities if there is to be a common series of numerals all over India; and that it would certainly be an advantage if a common system of numerals came to be used for the widest possible purposes in the whole country and that such a common system of numerals would have to be the international form of Indian numerals. The Commission have
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recorded that the so-called international form of numerals is nothing but yet another mutation of the ancient Indian numerals and there should be no objection, even on the ground of sentiment, to their adoption. The Presidential directions on the Report of the Committee of Parliament on Official Language have stated, inter alia, that for scientific, technical and statistical publications, the international numerals should be adopted uniformly in all publications of the Central Government.
The adoption of international numerals for scientific, technical and statistical purposes justifies their adoption for all other purposes also if we want to avoid confusion, lack of understanding and wastage of time and energy in mastering the numerous linguistic numerals. In multilingual areas if each language is to have a separate set of numerals, it would be placing an undue burden on the children not only to learn the scripts but also the numerals and later on the symbols. The symbols of the international form of Indian numerals are more convenient for easy reading and spotting whereas the Devanagari and other Indian numerals being more curvilinear are not so quickly distinguished. We have been failing in line with other countries in adopting the decimal coinage, metric systems of weights and measures etc. and it will be advantageous to follow the international numerals which are adopted by almost all the countries in the world for all purposes. At a time when considerable stress is laid on the unity of the country and the emotional integration of its people it is not seen why a system of numerals commonly used in the Southern States and widely known in other parts of India also should not be adopted for all purposes by the Government of India. Such a course will facilitate inter-State communication and understanding.
NOTE 2
Extracts from the Report of Official Language Commission on
NUMERALS 6. One of the specific terms of reference referred to the Commission for making recommendations to the President is 'the form of numerals to be used for any one or more specified purposes of the Union.' The provisions of the Constitution in this regard are as under. It is enacted in clause of Article 343 of the Constitution that 'the form of numerals to be used for the official purposes of the Union shall be the international form of Indian numerals'. In the next clause it is provided that the President may, during the period of 15 years until the Hindi language becomes the official language of the Union, by order authorise the use of the Devanagari form. of numerals in addition to the international form of Indian numerals for any of the official purposes of the Union.' In the third clause of the Article it is enacted that 'notwithstanding anything in this Article, Parliament may by law provide for the use, after the said period of fifteen years, of the Devanagari form of numerals for such purposes as may be specified in the law.'
As laid down in Article 344, the farm of numerals to be used for any one or more of the specified purposes of the Union is one of the terms of reference on which this Commission have to make recommendations.
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These recommendations, Eke others, will be reported upon by a Committee of parliament consisting of 30 members, after consideration of which the President may issue appropriate directions in this behalf.
So far as provision by Parliament by law for the use of the Devanagari form of numerals after the period of 15 years is concerned, we do not consider it necessary for us to make any recommendation. There will be another Commission five years hence, with similar terms of reference; and in respect of its recommendations a similar procedure will be followed. Thereafter, the Parliament will doubtless give further thought to the matter before it decides by law whether any provision should be made for the use of the Devanagari form of numerals for any of the purposes of the Union after 1965.
The only point that we have to consider is whether we could recommend to the President the issue of directions for providing for the use of the Devanagari form of numerals for any purposes between now and the time when the issue will be re-examined by the next Commission due to be appointed in 1960. It may be mentioned that of the two orders issued by the President as regards the use of Hindi language in addition to the English language, in one, the President has been pleased to authorise the use of Devanagari numerals in addition to the international form of Indian numerals, for the purposes referred to in that order and re-cited below :
For warrants of appointment of
(i) Governors of States,
(ii) Judges of the Supreme Court, and
(iii) Judges of the High Court
NOTE 3
Extract from the Report of the Committee of Parliament on Official
Language on NUMERALS
Sl. Recommendations of the Official Views of the Committee of
No. Language Commission Parliament on Official
Language
The Form of Numerals
28. The international form of numerals This may be accepted.
is itself of Indian origin and as
such is nothing but yet another
mutation of the ancient Indian
numerals, analogous to the several
forms of numerals developed, tog-
ether with their separate scripts,
by the modem Indian languages.
It is to be noted that in the Sou-
th the international form of nume-
rals is in current use in the four
great Dravidian languages, sometimes
and to a varying extent, alongside
of the numerals of their respective
scripts.
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29. In certain States in the Hindi-speak- So far as the Union
ing region the Devanagari form of numer- Government, the Co-
als is used either exclusively or in mmittee considers th-
addition to the international form of at there should be a
numerals for internal purposes of the uniform basic policy
State administration. as to the use of Dev-
anagari numeral in
It is for the respective State Govern- addition to the inte-
ments to decide whether this should rnational form of
be so. So far as the Union Government numerals in the pub-
is concerned, there should be a uniform lications of the di-
basic policy depending on the public fferent Ministries
intended to be addressed as to the use depending on the pu-
of Devanagari numerals in addition to blication.
the international form of numerals in
the publication of the different Minis-
tries.
30. We have no recommendation to make for This appears to be un-
the issue of directions by the Pre- necessary and need not
sident for the use of the Devanagari be taken into consid-
form of numerals in addition to the eration.
international form of Indian numerals
for any purposes of the Union between
now and the time when the issue will
be re-examined by the next Commission
to be appointed in 1960.
NOTE 4
Extract from the Order dated the 27th April, 1960 made by the
President on NUMERALS As suggested by the Committee, a uniform basic policy should be adopted for the use of Devanagari numerals, in addition to the international numerals, in the Hindi publications of the Central Ministries depending upon the public intended to be addressed and the subject-matter of the publication. For scientific, technical and statistical publications, including the budget literature of the Central Government, the international numerals should be adopted uniformly in all publications.