Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India
The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India lists nationally recognised regional languages of the Republic of India. At the time when the Constitution was enacted, inclusion in this list meant that the language was entitled to representation on the Official Languages Commission,[1] and that the language would be one of the bases that would be drawn upon to enrich Hindi and English, the official languages of the Union.[2] The list has since, however, acquired further significance. The Government of India is now under an obligation to take measures for the development of these languages, such that "they grow rapidly in richness and become effective means of communicating modern knowledge."[3] In addition, candidates sitting for an examination conducted for public service are entitled to use any of these languages as a medium to answer the paper.[4]
Scheduled languages
As per Articles 344(1) and 351 of the Constitution of India, the eighth schedule includes the recognition of 22 languages.[5][6]
Chronology
- 1950: 14 were initially included in the Constitution.[7]
- 1967: Sindhi was added by 21st Constitutional Amendment Act.[8]
- 1992: Konkani, Manipuri (Meitei) and Nepali were added by 71st Constitutional Amendment Act[9]
- 2003: Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santali were added by 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act.[7]
- 2011: The spelling Oriya was replaced by Odia by 96th Constitutional Amendment Act.[10]
Demands for expansion
At present, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs,[7][11] there are demands for inclusion of 39 more languagesin the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. These are: