8th Schedule of Indian Constitution – 22 Official Language in Eighth Schedule
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 20th, 2023
The 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution is responsible for listing the authorized Indian languages of the Republic. The part of the constitution that deals with the official speeches in India are XVII, included in Articles 343 to 351. No specific benchmark is considered for incorporating any Indian language in the 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution. The Indian Government has committed to uplifting these fundamental Indian languages so that they evolve as an effective medium of communication for modern learning.
The 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution comprises 22 languages. Initially, during the time of framing the Indian Constitution, there were 14 languages included in the 8th Schedule. Several amendments introduced languages like Sindhi, Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali. This article demonstrates important points regarding the 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution, the languages included in the Schedule, and the articles pertaining to the amendment.
Table of content
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1.
What is the 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution?
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2.
How Many Languages are Recognized by the Constitution of India?
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3.
Chronology of 22 Languages of Indian Constitution
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4.
Aim of 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution
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5.
Classical Languages in Schedule 8th of Indian Constitution
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6.
Articles Corresponding to 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution
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7.
8th Schedule of Indian Constitution UPSC
What is the 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution?
The Union Minister of Education recently discussed the measures to stimulate the official languages included in the 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution undertaken by the Indian Government. The 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution constitutes the following 22 languages:
Official Languages According to Schedule 8 of Indian Constitution |
|
Assamese |
Manipuri |
Bengali |
Marathi |
Bodo |
Nepali |
Dogri |
Odia |
Gujarati |
Punjabi |
Hindi |
Sanskrit |
Kannada |
Santhali |
Kashmiri |
Sindhi |
Konkani |
Tamil |
Maithili |
Telugu |
Malayalam |
Urdu |
How Many Languages are Recognized by the Constitution of India?
Previously, there were 14 official Indian languages in the 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution. Now, the total number of languages in schedule 8 of the Indian Constitution has been increased to 22. The list of languages is given below.
22 Official Language of India with States |
||
Year of Recognition |
Total Official Language of India |
Popular in Indian State |
1,950 |
Assamese |
Assam |
1,950 |
Bengali |
West Bengal |
1,950 |
Gujarati |
Gujarat |
1,950 |
Hindi |
North India |
1,950 |
Kashmiri |
Jammu & Kashmir |
1,950 |
Kannada |
Karnataka |
1,950 |
Malayalam |
Kerala |
1,950 |
Marathi |
Maharashtra |
1,950 |
Odia |
Odisha |
1,950 |
Punjabi |
Punjab |
1,950 |
Sanskrit |
Karnataka (Shivamogga District) |
1,950 |
Tamil |
Tamil Nadu |
1,950 |
Telugu |
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
1,950 |
Urdu |
Jammu & Kashmir, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh |
1,967 |
Sindhi |
Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh |
1,992 |
Konkani |
Goa |
1,992 |
Manipuri |
Manipur |
1,992 |
Nepali |
Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh |
2,004 |
Bodo |
Assam and Meghalaya |
2,004 |
Dogri |
Jammu and Himachal Pradesh |
2,004 |
Maithili |
Bihar and Jharkhand |
2,004 |
Santhali |
West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha |
Chronology of 22 Languages of Indian Constitution
Below are the official Indian languages counted later after many amendments and modifications. The latest revision was done in 2003 and the earliest was performed in 1967.
Schedule language |
Amendment in Indian Constitution |
Bodo, Dogri, Santhali, and Maithili |
92nd Amendment Act of 2003 |
Konkani, Nepali, and Manipuri |
71st Amendment Act of 1992. |
Sindhi |
21st Amendment Act of 1967. |
Aim of 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution
The main objective of the Eighth Schedule is to sustain the nation’s diversity. Making any state language official enables them to make progress and embrace diversification. Therefore, India does not have a national language. The primary goals of the Schedule 8 are as follows:
- Allow entry of native individuals to the Government in their indigenous language.
- Provide similar expression to the muti-ethical or multi-racial polity.
- Fosters trading business more efficiently through standard language backgrounds of the area.
- Offers secure scope to the diversity and varied languages in the country.
Read More
- 5th Schedule of Indian Constitution
- 6th Schedule of Indian Constitution
- 7th Schedule of Indian Constitution
Classical Languages in Schedule 8th of Indian Constitution
Six languages have earned the title of Classical languages of India. All classical Indian languages are included in the 8th Schedule of Indian constitution. Tamil was the first language to receive the classical language status in 2004, while Odia was the last one to receive the status in 2014. The languages that enjoy this status are:
Languages |
Declared as Classical languages in |
Tamil |
2004 |
Sanskrit |
2005 |
Kannada |
2008 |
Telugu |
2008 |
Malayalam |
2013 |
Odia |
2014 |
The languages regarded as Classical languages qualify some criteria listed by the Ministry of Culture; these include:
- The tradition of its publications is authentic and not taken from another speech community.
- High antiquity of its ancient texts or documented chronology over 1500-2000 years.
- It must have antique literature or text assumed a valuable origin by the orators.
Advantages of Classical Language Promotion
The Human Resource and Development Ministry has the authority to declare a language as a classical language and offers certain benefits to boost it. The advantages are:
- Establishment of a centre of merit for studies in Classical languages.
- Provides two global awards to intellectuals achieving distinction in these languages.
- Requests UGC or University Grants Commission to assemble a minimum number of faculties for teaching classical languages in the central institutes.
Articles Corresponding to 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution
There are an overall 12 Schedules of Indian Constitution, and the Constitutional provisions relating to the eighth Schedule of Indian constitution are in articles 344(1) and 351.
- Article 344: Article 344(1) offers a constitution by the President for the Commission as soon as it expires after 5 years from the commencement date.
- Article 351: This article of the Indian Constitution encourages the Hindi language to be the medium of expression for all mixed Indian cultures.
8th Schedule of Indian Constitution UPSC
Schedule 8 of the Indian constitution is a vital topic for aspirants to learn for IAS Exam. This section is crucial from the UPSC Polity syllabus. Students can make short notes and highlight the main points from the notes that can be revised when the examination is nearest.
Aspirants can also practice the previous year’s question papers after they become thorough with the topic. Candidates can also view the Polity Books for UPSC to know the most recommended textbooks by experts and professors they can explore while preparing for the vast syllabus of UPSC.