Eleanor Finch
India is a diverse country with 28 states and 8 union territories, each with its own unique languages and cultures. While there has been much discussion about the concept of a national language, India does not have a national language as per its Constitution. Instead, it has a range of official and scheduled languages, each recognized and protected by the Indian Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of official languages | 2 |
| Official languages | Hindi, English |
| Script | Devanagari |
| Number of scheduled languages | 22 |
| Scheduled languages | Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili, Dogri |
| Number of recognised regional languages | 23 |
| Recognised regional languages | The 22 scheduled languages, plus Maithili |
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What You'll Learn
Hindi and English are India's official languages
India is a diverse country with 28 states and 8 union territories, each with its own unique languages and cultures. While there has been much discussion about the concept of a national language, India does not have a national language as per its Constitution. Instead, it has a range of official and scheduled languages, each recognized and protected by the Indian Constitution.
Article 343 of the Constitution of India states that the official language of the Union is Hindi in Devanagari script, with the official use of English to continue for 15 years from 1947. In 1950, when the Constitution of India came into effect, it was envisaged that English would be phased out in favour of Hindi over a period of 15 years. However, this led to alarm in the non-Hindi-speaking areas of the country, especially in South India, and eventually, the Official Languages Act was enacted in 1963, allowing for the indefinite use of English and Hindi in the Indian government.
The Indian Constitution does not designate any language as the national language, and Hindi and English are the two official languages of India. In 1946, the issue of a national language was a bitterly contested subject in the Constituent Assembly of India, with members from the northern parts of the country insisting that the Constitution be drafted in Hindi with an English translation. This was resisted by members from other parts of India where Hindi was not spoken natively, and a compromise was reached to not include any mention of a national language.
Despite the lack of official recognition, many people in India consider Hindi to be the national language, and it is the most widely spoken language in the country. English, on the other hand, has become a de facto lingua franca over much of India, especially in urban areas and among wealthier and more educated Indians. English is also the language of governance, business, and education in India, a legacy of British colonialism.
In addition to the two official languages, the Eighth Schedule to the Indian Constitution recognizes 22 scheduled languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili, Dogri, and the recently added Santhali. These languages have been granted official status and are used in various regions of India.
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India's national language is not constitutionally recognised
India is a diverse country with 28 states and 8 union territories, each with its own unique languages and cultures. While there has been much discussion about the concept of a national language, India does not have a national language as per its Constitution.
The Indian Constitution, which came into effect in 1950, does not give any language the status of a national language. Article 343 of the Constitution states that the official language of the Union is Hindi in Devanagari script, with the official use of English to continue for 15 years from 1947. The Official Languages Act, 1963, allowed for the indefinite continued use of English alongside Hindi in the Indian government until legislation decides to change it.
The Indian Constitution grants the central government, acting through the President, the power to issue directives to state governments regarding the use of minority languages for official purposes. The President may direct a state to officially recognize a language spoken in its territory if its speakers demand it and can show that a substantial proportion of the state's population desires its use.
There are 22 scheduled languages recognized by the Indian Constitution, including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili, and Dogri. These languages have been granted recognition, status, and official encouragement.
While Hindi and English are the official languages of India, there is no national language designated by the Indian Constitution.
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22 languages are constitutionally recognised as scheduled languages
India is a diverse country with 28 states and 8 union territories, each with its own unique languages and cultures. While there is no national language of India as per its Constitution, Hindi in Devanagari script and English are considered the official languages.
The Indian Constitution, which came into effect in 1950, does not specify the official language of different states. However, it does recognise 22 scheduled languages. These languages are constitutionally recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The list of scheduled languages includes:
- Assamese
- Bengali
- Bodo
- Dogri
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Malayalam
- Manipuri
- Marathi
- Maithili
- Nepali
- Odia (Oriya)
- Punjabi
- Sanskrit
- Santhali
- Sindhi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
- Meitei (Manipuri)
Of these 22 languages, 14 were initially included in the Indian Constitution. The Sindhi language was added in 1967, and Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali were included in 1992. Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali were added later in 2004. Today, there are demands for the inclusion of 38 more languages in the Eighth Schedule.
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The Indian Constitution was drafted in English
India does not have a national language as per its Constitution. Instead, it has a range of official and scheduled languages, each recognized and protected by the Indian Constitution. Hindi and English are the two official languages of India.
The assembly's final session was convened on 24 January 1950. Each member signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. The original constitution is hand-written, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. Its calligrapher was Prem Behari Narain Raizada. The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India.
The initial draft of the constitution was prepared by Sir B. N. Rau, the assembly's constitutional advisor. Rau's draft consisted of 243 articles and 13 schedules, which came to 395 articles and 8 schedules after discussions, debates, and amendments. A revised draft constitution was prepared by the seven-member drafting committee, appointed on 29 August 1947 with B. R. Ambedkar as chair, and submitted to the assembly on 4 November 1947.
The Hindi translation of the Indian Constitution was undertaken by Raghu Vira, a distinguished linguist, scholar, politician, and member of the Constituent Assembly. In 1948, two years after the formation of the Constituent Assembly, Rajendra Prasad asked Raghu Vira and his team to translate the English text of the Constitution into Hindi. Raghu Vira used Sanskrit as a common base, akin to the role of Latin in European languages, to develop several new terms for scientific and parliamentary use. The terminology was subsequently approved by an All India Committee of Linguistic Experts, representing thirteen languages.
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English is India's de facto national language
India is a diverse country with 28 states and 8 union territories, each with its own unique languages and cultures. While there has been much discussion about the concept of a national language, India does not have a national language as per its constitution. Instead, it has a range of official and scheduled languages, each recognized and protected by the Indian Constitution.
The Indian Constitution, which came into effect in 1950, declared Hindi in Devanagari script to be the official language of the union. It also envisaged that English would be phased out in favor of Hindi over a period of 15 years. However, due to protests and opposition from non-Hindi speaking states, English has been retained as an official language alongside Hindi. English is used by the Government of India for communication and is enshrined in the Constitution of India. It is the sole official language of the Judiciary of India and is used in the Supreme Court and all the high courts of India.
English is also an official language in seven states and seven union territories of India and is the additional official language in seven other states and one union territory. It is the only reliable means of day-to-day communication between the central government and the non-Hindi states. English is widely spoken in urban areas, and proficiency is higher among wealthier Indians, Indians with higher educational attainment, Christians, men, and younger Indians.
Journalist Manu Joseph has argued that English is the de facto national language of India due to its prominence and usage, as well as the desire for English-language education. English has a long history in India, dating back to British colonial rule, when it became the language for governance, business, and education. Despite efforts to replace it with Hindi, English has persisted and remains an important language in the country.
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Frequently asked questions
India does not have a national language as per its Constitution. Hindi in Devanagari script and English are the country's official languages.
The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists 22 scheduled languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili, and Dogri.
A national language represents the identity of a country, while an official language is used for government communication.
In 1946, the Constituent Assembly of India debated whether the Constitution should be written in Hindi or English. The committee ultimately decided on English. The Constitution, which came into effect in 1950, stated that the official language of the Union is Hindi in Devanagari script, with official use of English to continue for 15 years from 1947. However, due to opposition from non-Hindi-speaking areas, the Official Languages Act of 1963 allowed for the indefinite use of English alongside Hindi in the government.
