Which of the following articles of the Indian constitution made the provision for use of English. Alongside Hindi. For official purposes, for fifteen years?

The correct option is Article 343.

Article 343 of the Constitution of India contains provisions regarding the official language of the Union. The detailed breakdown of this article explains why it is the correct answer:

1. Official Language of the Union (Article 343(1)):
This clause prescribes that the official language of the Union of India shall be Hindi in the Devanagari script. The form of numerals to be used for the official purposes of the Union shall be the international form of Indian numerals.

2. Provision for the Use of English (Article 343(2)):
Recognizing that a sudden transition from English to Hindi for all official correspondence and administration would be difficult, the framers of the Constitution added a transitional provision. Under Article 343(2), it was mandated that for a period of fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution (which was January 26, 1950), the English language would continue to be used for all the official purposes of the Union for which it was being used immediately before the commencement. This fifteen-year period ended on January 26, 1965.

3. Subsequent Extensions (Article 343(3)):
This clause empowered Parliament to provide by law for the continued use of the English language even after the expiration of the fifteen-year period. Consequently, Parliament enacted the Official Languages Act, 1963, which allowed the continued use of English for official purposes indefinitely alongside Hindi.

For context, here is a brief look at the other articles mentioned in the options:
- Article 344: Relates to the constitution of a Commission and Committee of Parliament on official language.
- Article 348: Relates to the language to be used in the Supreme Court and in the High Courts, and for Acts, Bills, etc.
- Article 351: Relates to the directive for development of the Hindi language.