Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Department of Official Language
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1975-1985
History
The Official Language Bill was passed by Parliament in 1956, declaring that Sinhala was the Official Language of the Country, and the Official Language Department was established on 16th August, 1956.
The responsibility of the Official Language Department was to ensure the implementation of the Official Language Act No.33 of 1956 and the Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Act No.28 of 1958.
The Official Language Department and the Swabhasha Department which until September 1956 had functioned under the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education respectively were brought under the purview of the Hon. Prime Minister from the Financial Year 1956-57 and steps were taken to amalgamate these two Departments.
Subsequent to the change that took place in the Official Language it had now become obligatory for Government Departments to make their reports in Sinhala. To assist in this task the Official Language Department established a Central Translation Bureau on July 1st, 1957.
Some of the other activities of this Department were the training of Stenographers in Sinhalese and Tamil, Conducting Language training classes for Government officers, Conducting Proficiency Examinations and compilation of Sinhala and Tamil Technical Terms for use in Government Institutions.
This Department, presently, functions under the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs.
The responsibility of the Official Language Department was to ensure the implementation of the Official Language Act No.33 of 1956 and the Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Act No.28 of 1958.
The Official Language Department and the Swabhasha Department which until September 1956 had functioned under the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education respectively were brought under the purview of the Hon. Prime Minister from the Financial Year 1956-57 and steps were taken to amalgamate these two Departments.
Subsequent to the change that took place in the Official Language it had now become obligatory for Government Departments to make their reports in Sinhala. To assist in this task the Official Language Department established a Central Translation Bureau on July 1st, 1957.
Some of the other activities of this Department were the training of Stenographers in Sinhalese and Tamil, Conducting Language training classes for Government officers, Conducting Proficiency Examinations and compilation of Sinhala and Tamil Technical Terms for use in Government Institutions.
This Department, presently, functions under the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs.
Places
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
General context
Relationships area
Control area
Description identifier
LK-NA/DOL
Institution identifier
LK-NA
Rules and/or conventions used
ISAAR
Status
Final
Level of detail
Minimal
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
- Latin