Understanding Languages in the Indian Constitution

The question asks about the number of languages currently recognized and listed in the Indian Constitution. The Constitution of India includes provisions for recognizing various languages spoken across the country.

Scheduled Languages in the Eighth Schedule

The Constitution of India lists the officially recognized languages in a specific part called the Eighth Schedule. This schedule was originally part of the Constitution when it was adopted.

Over time, more languages have been added to this schedule through constitutional amendments. The total number has increased from the original list.

Evolution of Scheduled Languages

Initially, the Constitution's Eighth Schedule included 14 languages. These were:

• Assamese
• Bengali
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Kannada
• Kashmiri
• Malayalam
• Marathi
• Odia (formerly Oriya)
• Punjabi
• Sanskrit
• Tamil
• Telugu
• Urdu

Through subsequent amendments, several more languages were added to the list. The amendments that added languages are:

• 21st Amendment Act, 1967: Added Sindhi. This increased the number to 15.
• 71st Amendment Act, 1992: Added Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali. This increased the number to 18.
• 92nd Amendment Act, 2003: Added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali. This increased the number to 22.

Therefore, the current number of languages scheduled in the Indian Constitution in the Eighth Schedule is 22.

The 22 languages currently listed in the Eighth Schedule are:

These scheduled languages have significance in various aspects, including recognition for Sahitya Akademi awards, use in official communications, and examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Revision Table: Indian Constitution Languages

Additional Information: Official Languages of India

While the Eighth Schedule lists 22 languages, the Constitution also designates official languages for the Union and States.

• Official Language of the Union: Article 343 states that Hindi in Devanagari script shall be the official language of the Union. English was also permitted for official purposes for a specified period and continues to be used.
• Official Languages of States: Article 345 allows the legislature of a State to adopt any one or more of the languages used in the State or Hindi as the official language(s) of that State.
• Language of the Supreme Court and High Courts: Article 348 specifies that the language of the Supreme Court and High Courts shall be English, although Parliament may provide otherwise. The Governor of a State may, with the previous consent of the President, authorize the use of Hindi or any other official language of the State in proceedings in the High Court.

The languages in the Eighth Schedule represent the major languages of India, recognized for their cultural and literary significance, distinct from the concept of official languages used for governance.