
The Bodo people, also known as the Boro, are an ethnolinguistic group native to the state of Assam in India. They are believed to have migrated at least 3,000 years ago and are concentrated mainly in the Bodoland Territorial Region of Assam. The Bodo language, a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family, is recognised as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India. The Bodo people have a distinct culture, including their own traditions, festivals, and attires. The Bodo language was included in the Indian Constitution through the 92nd Amendment Act of 2003, which amended the Eighth Schedule to include Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santali languages. This amendment was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 22, 2003, and received assent from President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on January 7, 2004.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Bodo inclusion in the Indian Constitution | 92nd Amendment Act of 2003 |
| Bodo language inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution | 92nd Amendment Act of 2003 |
| Number of languages in the Eighth Schedule after Bodo inclusion | 22 |
| Bodo speakers' concentration in Assam | 4.53% of the state population |
| Bodo speakers' concentration in the Bodoland Territorial Region of Assam | 31% of the region's population |
| Bodo speakers' concentration in Kokrajhar, Bodoland's capital | 25% of the town's population |
| Bodo speakers' bilingualism | Over two-thirds speak Assamese as a second language |
| Bodo speakers' special powers | In the Bodoland Territorial Region, an autonomous division |
| Bodo speakers' status in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution | Recognised as a plains tribe |
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What You'll Learn
- The Bodo language was added to the Indian Constitution in 2003
- The Boro people are recognised as a plains tribe in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution
- The Bodo people are native to the state of Assam in India
- The Bodo people are an ethnolinguistic group
- The Bodo people have a distinct culture from the rest of the world

The Bodo language was added to the Indian Constitution in 2003
The Bodo language was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which lists languages that the Government of India has the responsibility to develop. The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution originally included 14 languages. The Sindhi language was added in 1967, and Konkani, Meitei and Nepali were included in 1992, bringing the total number of languages to 18. The 92nd Amendment Act of 2003 added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santali, taking the total number of languages in the Eighth Schedule to 22.
The bill to include Bodo in the Eighth Schedule was presented to the Rajya Sabha, which recommended that it be passed. It was then debated and passed by the Lok Sabha on 22 December 2003. The bill received assent from President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on 7 January 2004 and came into force on the same date. The Bodo language is an official language of the state of Assam and the Bodoland Territorial Region of India. The Bodos have a distinct culture, including their own festivals, music, dance and attire. They are also the largest tribal group in the region.
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The Boro people are recognised as a plains tribe in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution
The Boro people, also known as Bodo, are a Tibeto-Burman speaking ethnolinguistic group native to the state of Assam in India. They are a part of the greater Bodo-Kachari family of ethnolinguistic groups and are spread across northeastern India. The Boro people are recognised as a plains tribe in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and have special powers in the Bodoland Territorial Region, an autonomous division.
The Boro people were listed under both "Boro" and "Borokachari" in The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, and continue to be designated as such in the Census of India documents. The Boro language is a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family and belongs to the Boro-Garo group of the Tibeto-Burman languages branch of the Sino-Tibetan family. It is an official language of the state of Assam and the Bodoland Territorial Region of India. It is also one of the twenty-two languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
The Bodo language was added to the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution by the Ninety-second Amendment Act of 2003, along with Dogri, Maithili, and Santali. This amendment raised the total number of languages listed in the schedule to 22. The Eighth Schedule lists languages that the Government of India has the responsibility to develop. The inclusion of the Bodo language in the Eighth Schedule was the result of a Memorandum of Settlement between the representatives of the Bodo community, the Government of Assam, and the Government of India.
The Bodoland Territorial Region is an autonomous administrative unit constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. The region covers an area of 8,795 square kilometres and is home to a significant Bodo population. The Boro people constitute the largest tribal group in the region, with around 1.45 million Bodos living in Assam, making up 4.53% of the state's population. The Bodoland Territorial Council has enhanced executive and legislative powers and its membership has been increased to 60. The boundary of the Bodoland Territorial Region has been redrawn to make Boro speakers a majority within the region.
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The Bodo people are native to the state of Assam in India
The Bodo people, also known as Boro, are native to the state of Assam in India. They are a Tibeto-Burman-speaking ethnolinguistic group and are part of the greater Bodo-Kachari family of ethnolinguistic groups. The Bodo people are spread across northeastern India, with a significant population in the state of Meghalaya and in Bangladesh. They are the largest minority group in Assam, with a concentration in the northern areas of the Brahmaputra River valley. The Bodo people were formerly dominant in Assam until around 1825, and their history in the region goes back at least 3,000 years.
The Bodo people consist of a large number of tribes, including the Cutiya, Plains Kachari, Rabha, Garo, Mech, Koch, Dimasa (or Hill Kachari), Hojai, Lalung, Tippera, and Moran. These tribes are not culturally uniform, with some following matrilineal social systems and others being patrilineal. The Bodo people have a tribal religion with a wide pantheon of village and household gods, and their marriage traditions typically involve the payment of a bride price. The influence of Hindu ideas and customs has led to the assimilation of some Bodo tribes into the caste society of the Assam plains.
The Bodo language, also known as Boro, is a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It is an official language of the state of Assam and the Bodoland Territorial Region of India. The Bodo language is one of the twenty-two languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, recognised as a Scheduled language. The inclusion of the Bodo language in the Constitution was part of a Memorandum of Settlement between the representatives of the Bodo community, the Government of Assam, and the Government of India.
The Bodo people have a rich history and cultural heritage, with their identity formation dating back to the colonial period. The emergence of Bodo organisations in the early 20th century, such as the Bodo Students Association and the Greater Bodo Association, advocated for social and political progress. The Bodo community has also been recognised for their contributions to Assamese culture, with some Bodo intellectuals playing a significant role in shaping the region's history.
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The Bodo people are an ethnolinguistic group
The Bodo people, also known as the Boro, are a Tibeto-Burman speaking ethnolinguistic group native to the state of Assam in India. They are believed to be prehistoric settlers who migrated at least 3,000 years ago and are part of the greater Bodo-Kachari family of ethnolinguistic groups spread across northeastern India. The Bodo people are recognised as a plains tribe in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and have special powers in the Bodoland Territorial Region, an autonomous division.
The Bodo people speak the Boro language, which is a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It belongs to the Boro-Garo group of the Tibeto-Burman languages branch of the Sino-Tibetan family. The Boro language is recognised as one of the twenty-two Scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Assam and the Bodoland Territorial Region. Over two-thirds of Bodo speakers are bilingual, with Assamese being their second language.
The Bodo people have a distinct culture that sets them apart from the rest of the world, including their own traditions, festivals, music, dance, and attires. They traditionally practised Bathouism, which involves the worship of a supreme God known as Obonglaoree or the shijou tree. Bodo mythology holds that they are the offspring of the son of Vishnu (Baraha) and Mother Earth (Basumati) and were termed "Kiratas" during the Epic period.
The Bodo people have a significant presence in the Bodoland Territorial Region of Assam, constituting around 31% of the region's population. They are the largest tribal group in the region and have their own student organisation, the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU). The Bodoland Territorial Region is a gateway to the North Eastern Region of India and is known for its rich biodiversity and wildlife, including the famous Manas National Park. The Bodo calendar also differs from the standard one, with the first day of the year falling in mid-April.
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The Bodo people have a distinct culture from the rest of the world
The Bodo people, also known as the Boro, are a Tibeto-Burman-speaking ethnolinguistic group native to the state of Assam in India. They are believed to be prehistoric settlers who migrated at least 3,000 years ago and are spread across northeastern India. The Bodo people have a distinct culture from the rest of the world, with their own language, traditions, and way of life.
The Bodo language, a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family, is an official language in the state of Assam and the Bodoland Territorial Region of India. It was also included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution in 2003, which lists languages that the government has a responsibility to develop. This amendment, known as the 92nd Amendment Act of 2003, was a significant step in recognising the Bodo language and culture.
The Bodo people have a rich cultural heritage with unique traditions and practices. They have their own set of religious beliefs and festivals, with a majority following Bathouism, the worship of the supreme God, known as Obonglaoree. They also celebrate springtime festivals such as Bwisagu, famous for its colours and merriment, and Kherai Puja, where an altar is placed in a rice field. The Boro dance, Bagurumba, accompanied by its namesake song, is an integral part of their culture, along with traditional attire and music played on various instruments.
In terms of social structure, the Bodo people are not culturally uniform. Some tribes, like the Gāro, have a matrilineal system, while others are patrilineal. The influence of Hindu social and religious concepts has led some Bodo tribes to identify as Hindu castes, such as the Koch, who claim the high status of Kshatriya. The Bodo people have a long history of living in an agrarian society, with a strong tradition of farming, fishing, and poultry, as well as cultivating rice, jute, and betel nuts. They are known for creating their own clothing, including traditional attire.
The Bodo people have a distinct culture that sets them apart from the rest of the world, with their own language, religious beliefs, social structures, festivals, and way of life. Their inclusion in the Indian Constitution through the 92nd Amendment Act of 2003 was a significant step in recognising and preserving their unique culture and heritage within India.
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Frequently asked questions
The Bodo language was included in the Indian Constitution in 2003 through the 92nd Amendment Act.
Bodo is a Tibeto-Burman language of the Boro-Garo group. It is spoken by the Boro or Bodo people, an ethnolinguistic group native to the state of Assam in India.
The Bodo language is one of the twenty-two languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Eighth Schedule lists languages that the Government of India has the responsibility to develop and promote. The inclusion of Bodo in the Eighth Schedule was a result of a Memorandum of Settlement between the representatives of the Bodo community, the Government of Assam, and the Government of India.




















