The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India lists the languages officially recognized by the Government of India. , 22 languages have been classified under the schedule.

Definition As per the Constitution of India, the provisions belonging to the eight schedule are defined in articles 344(1) and 351. Article 344(1) defined a set of 14 regional languages which were represented in the Official Languages Commission and Article 351 deals with the promotion of usage of Hindi by Government of India, which was declared as an official language. English was declared as an additional official language to be used for a period not exceeding 15 years. The commission was to suggest steps to be taken to progressively promote the use of Hindi as the official language of the country.

Official Languages Act, 1963

The Official Languages Act, 1963 which came into effect on 26 January 1965, made provisions for the continuation of English as an official language alongside Hindi in official communications after the expiration of the fifteen year period.

On 18 January 1968, the Official Language Resolution was passed by the Parliament of India which further mandated the development and promotion of all the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule. As per the resolution, the Government of India was obligated to take measures for the development of the languages defined in the eighth schedule.

History

Initial list (1950) The original Eighth Schedule in 1950 included 14 languages:

Assamese Bengali Gujarati Hindi Kannada Kashmiri Malayalam Marathi Odia Punjabi Sanskrit Tamil Telugu Urdu

Additions through constitutional amendments As of 2026, subsequent amendments have added eight additional languages: 21st Amendment (1967): Sindhi was added as the 15th language. 71st Amendment (1992): Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali were included, increasing the total to 18 languages. 92nd Amendment (2003): Four languages: Bodo, Dogri, Santali, and Maithili, were added, raising the total number to 22 languages. 96th Amendment (2011): Oriya was renamed Odia.

Scheduled languages The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution defined 14 languages in 1950: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. In 1967, the 21st amendment to the constitution added Sindhi to the Eighth Schedule. The 71st Amendment, enacted in 1992, added three more languages: Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali. In 2003, the 92nd Amendment added Bodo, Dogri, Santali and Maithili, raising the total number of languages to 22. In 2011, the spelling Oriya was changed to Odia by the 96th amendment.

, the following languages are recognized under the eighth schedule of the Constitution of India:

LanguageSpeakers(millions, 2011)Year includedOfficial Script in IndiaLanguage familyStates/UTs where officialAssamese15.31950Bengali–AssameseIndo-AryanAssamBengali97.2 Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, JharkhandBodo1.482003DevanagariSino-TibetanAssamDogri2.6Indo-AryanJammu and KashmirGujarati55.51950GujaratiGujaratHindi528DevanagariBihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand.Kannada43.7KannadaDravidianKarnatakaKashmiri6.8Perso-ArabicIndo-AryanJammu and KashmirKonkani2.251992DevanagariGoaMaithili13.62003DevanagariBihar, JharkhandMalayalam34.81950MalayalamDravidianKerala, Puducherry, LakshadweepManipuri1.81992MeiteiSino-TibetanManipurMarathi831950DevanagariIndo-AryanGoa, MaharashtraNepali2.91992DevanagariSikkim, West BengalOdia37.51950Odia scriptOdisha, Jharkhand, West BengalPunjabi33.1GurmukhiDelhi, Haryana, Punjab, West BengalSanskrit0.02DevanagariHimachal Pradesh, UttarakhandSantali7.62003Ol ChikiAustroasiaticJharkhand, West BengalSindhi2.71967Devanagari and Perso-ArabicIndo-AryanNoneTamil691950TamilDravidianPuducherry, Tamil NaduTelugu81.1TeluguAndhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Telangana, West BengalUrdu50.7Perso-ArabicIndo-AryanAndhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal

Demands for expansion In 2003, a committee was established by Government of India, to study the possible inclusion of more languages to the schedule. As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, there are demands for inclusion of 38 more languages in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. These are:

Angami Angika Bajjika Bhojpuri Bundeli Chhattisgarhi Dhatki English Garhwali Gondi Gujjari Pahadi Ho Kachhi Kamtapuri Karbi Khasi Kodava Kokborok Kumaoni Kurmali Kurukh Ladakhi Banjara Lepcha Limbu Magahi Mizo Mundari Sadri Nicobarese Pali RajasthaniThe Rajasthan State Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous resolution in August 2003 advocating for the recognition of Rajasthani and its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Rajbanshi Sambalpuri Saraiki Shauraseni Prakrit Sikkimese Tulu

Arguments regarding expansion

Arguments for inclusion

Cultural preservation: Many communities argue that inclusion in the Eighth Schedule would help preserve and promote their cultural heritage and linguistic identity. Administrative recognition: Inclusion grants official recognition, ensuring the use of these languages in government administration and education. Increased resources: Inclusion allows for funding and resources to be allocated for the development and promotion of the language.

Arguments against inclusion

Administrative complexity: Recognizing too many languages could complicate governance, translation, and communication. Dilution of resources: Increased inclusion could divert resources and attention from the development of existing languages. Politicization of language: Inclusion may encourage regional and political pressures, leading to disputes over linguistic priorities.

See also Nepali Language Recognition Day Languages of India Sikkim Public holidays in India Language movement (disambiguation)

Footnotes

References