Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Saturday released the updated Tamil and Gujarati editions of the Constitution of India along with the 8th Edition of the Legal Glossary (English-Hindi), underscoring the importance of making constitutional knowledge accessible in regional languages.
The releases took place at Uprashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on the occasion of International Mother Language Day. Addressing the gathering, the Vice-President said the launch of the regional editions on this day highlighted the significance of mother tongues in shaping identity, thought and cultural continuity.
Emphasising India’s linguistic diversity, V-P Radhakrishnan said that every Indian language – from Tamil to Kashmiri and from Gujarati to Assamese – carries centuries of heritage and wisdom. He observed that the Constitution recognises and celebrates multilingualism as a national strength, adding that few countries in the world make their Constitution available in so many languages.
The Vice-President appreciated Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal for expanding the availability of the Constitution in multiple Indian languages under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He recalled that in recent years, official translated versions have been released in languages such as Bodo, Dogri and Santhali, and noted that the Constitution was also released in Nepali for the first time last year.
Speaking about Tamil and Gujarati, he described both as languages rich in literary brilliance, philosophical depth and cultural wisdom. He also referred to the Prime Minister’s recent remarks in Malaysia praising Tamil as one of the world’s most ancient languages and a proud gift of India to humanity, while highlighting the richness of Gujarati literature.
On the release of the 8th Edition of the Legal Glossary (English–Hindi), the Vice-President said its simplified language would benefit lawmakers, students, judicial officers, researchers and policymakers. He termed it not just a reference book but an instrument of empowerment that would help strengthen democratic participation and deepen constitutional awareness.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi and poet Subramania Bharati, V-P Radhakrishnan called upon citizens to celebrate not only their own mother tongue but the collective harmony of India’s diverse languages, united in their shared purpose of serving the nation.
