Hindi as UN official language would cost over Rs 82 crore per year

NEW DELHI: India has not made a proposal for introduction of Hindi as an official language of the United Nations as it would cost the government over Rs 82 crore annually even by a conservative estimate.

The information was given by the External Affairs Ministry in reply to a Right to Information plea filed by a 12-year old girl, Aishwarya Parashar, of Lucknow who sought to know that why a formal proposal to make Hindi as an official language of the UN has not been given.

"The introduction of Hindi as one of the official languages of the UN has several financial and procedural implications, which require to be met before a formal proposal can be tabled in the UN," Central Public Information Officer of MEA, S Gopalakrishnan said in his reply.

He said India, a proposing country, would need to provide sufficient financial resources to the UN to cover the additional expenditure on interpretation, translation, printing and duplication of documents and related infrastructural costs.

"This according to conservative estimates, could cost in excess of $4 million (app Rs 82.6 crore) per year. This is based on the decision of the UN General Assembly in 1973 to include Arabic as a working and official language of General Assembly and adding an inflation component of 2-3 per cent per annum on a compounded basis.

"The actual cost is likely to be considerably higher since infrastructual changes would also need to be made in all conference halls to provide for an additional interpreter's booth," he said.