Isabella Carter
The Indian Constitution, adopted in 1950, initially listed 14 languages in its Eighth Schedule. This schedule concerns the official languages of India. The languages recognised under the Eighth Schedule are decided by the Ministry of Home Affairs. As of 2024, 22 languages are enlisted in the Indian Constitution, with demands for the inclusion of 38 more.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Languages Recognised | 22 |
| Date of Last Update | 2024 |
| Official Languages | Hindi, English |
| Languages with Legal Status | Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Maithili, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu |
| Languages on Official Website of Indian Prime Minister's Office | Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Meitei (Manipuri), Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, English |
| Languages in the Press Information Bureau | Assamese, Bengali, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Meitei (Manipuri), Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, English |
| Languages in Multi-Tasking (Non-Technical) Staff Exam | 14 out of 22 scheduled languages |
| Number of Languages at Independence | 14 |
| Number of Languages in 1967 | 18 |
| Number of Languages in 2003 | 22 |
| Number of Additional Languages Proposed | 38 |
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What You'll Learn
- The Indian Constitution declared Hindi as the official language in 1950
- English was to be phased out 15 years after the constitution came into effect
- The Dravidian-speaking states resisted the changeover to Hindi
- The Official Languages Act, 1963, allowed for the continued use of English
- languages are now recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution
The Indian Constitution declared Hindi as the official language in 1950
The Indian Constitution, adopted in 1950, declared Hindi to be the official language of the union. This was in addition to English, which was to be phased out over a 15-year period. However, the prospect of English being replaced as an official language caused concern in non-Hindi-speaking areas of India, especially in Dravidian-speaking states, whose languages were not related to Hindi.
Indeed, there was division within the Constituent Assembly over the language issue, with some favouring declaring Hindi written in Devanagari as the national language of India immediately, and others wanting to continue the usage of English. Eventually, a compromise was reached, and it was decided that English would be phased out in favour of Hindi over a 15-year period, but Parliament was given the power to change this by law.
In 1963, due to the concerns of non-Hindi-speaking areas, Parliament enacted the Official Languages Act, which provided for the continued use of English for official purposes alongside Hindi. This was despite the fact that, in 1967, the Act was amended to state that the use of English would not be ended until a resolution to that effect was passed by the legislature of every state that had not adopted Hindi as its official language.
In addition to Hindi and English, the Indian Constitution recognises 22 regional languages, which are called scheduled languages. These languages are entitled to representation in the Official Language Commission and are used to enrich Hindi and English. The exact extent to which, and the areas in which, the Union government uses each language is determined by the provisions of the Constitution, the Official Languages Act, the Official Languages Rules, and statutory instruments made by the Department of Official Language.
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English was to be phased out 15 years after the constitution came into effect
The Indian Constitution, which came into effect on 26 January 1950, declared Hindi to be the official language of the union. It also stated that English would serve as an additional official language for a maximum of 15 years, after which it would be phased out. This was a compromise, as there was division within the Constituent Assembly over whether to adopt Hindi or English as the national language immediately after independence.
The plan to replace English with Hindi as the sole official language faced resistance in many parts of the country, particularly in Tamil Nadu, which had a history of opposing the imposition of Hindi dating back to 1937. The prospect of the changeover also caused alarm in the non-Hindi-speaking areas of India, especially the Dravidian-speaking states, whose languages were not related to Hindi.
To address this issue, the Indian Parliament enacted the Official Languages Act in 1963, which provided for the continued use of English for official purposes alongside Hindi. The Act came into effect on 26 January 1965, 15 years after the Indian Constitution was adopted.
The Official Languages Act was amended in 1967 to include a provision that the use of English would not be ended until a resolution to that effect was passed by the legislature of every state that had not adopted Hindi as its official language and by each house of the Indian Parliament. As a result, English continues to be used as a "subsidiary official language" in addition to Hindi for official purposes by the Union government.
As of 2025, 22 languages have been recognised as official languages under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, including Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Maithili, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. The Constitution also guarantees the right to submit petitions to government authorities in any language used in India.
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The Dravidian-speaking states resisted the changeover to Hindi
The Indian Constitution recognizes 22 languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, and others. However, the journey to recognizing multiple languages was not without challenges, especially regarding the status of Hindi as the official language.
The Dravidian-speaking states, primarily located in southern and central parts of South Asia, resisted the changeover to Hindi as the sole official language of the Republic of India. This resistance has a long history, with Tamil Nadu, for example, opposing the imposition of Hindi as early as 1937 when the Justice Party resisted the decision to make Hindi compulsory in schools.
The Dravidian languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam, are spoken by approximately 19.64% of Indians and have a rich literary tradition. Speakers of these languages were concerned about the imposition of Hindi and the potential loss of their linguistic heritage. The Dravidian languages are not related to Hindi, and the prospect of a changeover to Hindi caused alarm in these states.
To address this resistance and the concerns of the Dravidian-speaking states, the Indian government made several compromises. Firstly, it was decided that English would be phased out in favor of Hindi over a fifteen-year period, ensuring a gradual transition. Secondly, the Official Languages Act of 1963 was enacted, allowing for the continued use of English for official purposes alongside Hindi.
Additionally, the Act was amended in 1967 to include a provision that the use of English would only be ended if a resolution was passed by the legislature of every state that had not adopted Hindi as its official language. This ensured that states where Hindi was not the primary language, including Dravidian-speaking states, could continue to use English for official purposes.
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The Official Languages Act, 1963, allowed for the continued use of English
The Indian Constitution, adopted in 1950, declared Hindi in Devanagari script to be the official language of the union. The Constitution also envisaged that English would be phased out in favour of Hindi over a fifteen-year period. However, plans to make Hindi the sole official language were met with resistance, particularly in Tamil Nadu and other non-Hindi-speaking areas of India.
As a result, the Parliament enacted the Official Languages Act, 1963, which allowed for the continued use of English for official purposes alongside Hindi. This Act came into force on the 26th of January 1965, the same date that marked the end of the fifteen-year period after which English was to be phased out per the original plan. The Official Languages Act, 1963, ensured that English could continue to be used in addition to Hindi for all official purposes of the Union and for use in Parliament.
The Act also made provisions for the translation of state Acts and ordinances. Where a state prescribed a language other than Hindi for its Acts or ordinances, a translation into Hindi, in addition to English, was to be published in the Official Gazette of the State. The Hindi or English translation would then be deemed the authoritative text. Additionally, the Governor of a State was given the power to authorise the use of Hindi or the official language of the State, in addition to English, for the purposes of any judgement, decree, or order passed by the High Court.
The Official Languages Act, 1963, also required the Union government to prepare and execute a program to progressively increase its use of Hindi. Regional Hindi implementation offices have been established across India to monitor the implementation of Hindi in Central government offices. Annual targets are set by the Department of Official Language regarding the amount of correspondence carried out in Hindi.
While the Official Languages Act, 1963, allowed for the continued use of English, it is important to note that English is not one of the enlisted languages in the Indian Constitution. The Constitution recognises 22 scheduled languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu, among others. These languages are given official status and are used in various government institutions and examinations.
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22 languages are now recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution
The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists the languages that are officially recognised by the Government of India. The Constitution was adopted in 1950, and at that time, 14 languages were included in the Eighth Schedule. These were: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya or Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
Since then, several Constitutional Amendments have been made to include more languages. In 1967, the 21st Amendment added Sindhi to the Eighth Schedule. In 1992, the 71st Amendment added Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali, bringing the total number of languages to 18. In 2003, the 92nd Amendment added four more languages: Bodo, Maithili, Dogri and Santhali. The most recent addition was in 2004, when the 96th Amendment changed the spelling of Oriya to Odia. Now, 22 languages are recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
The recognition of these languages is important for several reasons. Firstly, every person submitting a petition to a government officer or authority has a constitutional right to submit it in any of the scheduled languages. Secondly, official recognition ensures the use of these languages in government administration and education. Thirdly, inclusion in the Eighth Schedule helps to preserve and promote the cultural heritage and linguistic identity of the communities that speak these languages.
Despite the expansion of the Eighth Schedule over the years, there are still demands for the inclusion of more languages. As of 2024, there are calls for the inclusion of 38 additional languages. However, recognising too many languages could lead to administrative complexity and the dilution of resources available for the development of existing languages.
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Frequently asked questions
22 languages are enlisted in the Indian Constitution as of 2024.
The Indian Constitution's Eighth Schedule lists the following 22 languages:
- Assamese
- Bengali
- Bodo
- Dogri
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Malayalam
- Manipuri
- Marathi
- Maithili
- Nepali
- Odia (formerly Oriya)
- Punjabi
- Sanskrit
- Santhali
- Sindhi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
The Eighth Schedule lists the languages that are officially recognized by the Government of India. The recognition provides official status, ensuring the use of these languages in government administration and education. It also allows for funding and resources to be allocated for the development and promotion of the language.
