The Constitution of India initially permitted the use of English language for all official purposes for a period of:

1. A

   5 years

   Option (a) claims that the Constitution permitted English for 5 years. This shorter duration does not match the transitional provisions framed by the makers.

2. B

   10 years

   Option (b) claims a period of 10 years for official English use. While Parliament was empowered to extend timelines, the initial constitutional limit was set differently.

3. C

   15 years

   Option (c) claims a period of 15 years, which is the correct duration specified under Article 343(2) of the Constitution of India for the continued use of English for official purposes. This provision was included to allow a smooth transition to Hindi while giving non-Hindi speaking regions adequate time to adapt.

4. D

   20 years

   Option (d) claims a period of 20 years. This overstates the original timeline stipulated in the constitutional text before subsequent statutory extensions were enacted.

Summary. Official key is (c) because Article 343(2) of the Constitution of India initially permitted the use of the English language for all official purposes of the Union for a period of 15 years from the commencement of the Constitution. Options (a), (b), and (d) propose incorrect durations that do not align with the literal text of the constitutional provision. This specific timeframe was designed to phase out English gradually and promote Hindi as the official language. Subsequent legislation such as the Official Languages Act, 1963, later provided for the continued use of English even after the expiry of this fifteen-year period.