India has a diverse list of spoken languages among different groups of people. At least 30 different languages and around 2000 dialects have been identified. The Constitution of India has stipulated the usage of Hindi and English to be the two languages of official communication for the national government. Additionally, it contains a list of 22 scheduled languages. These languages are entitled to representation on the Official Language Commission, and a candidate in an examination conducted for national government service may opt to take the exam in any of these languages.
As drafted, English ceased to exist as an official language (on par with Hindi) in 1965, after which it was intended to continue as an "associate additional official language" until such time that a duly appointed committee can decide on a full-scale transition to Hindi, based on a periodic review. However, due to protests from some states like Tamil Nadu where there is low Hindi penetration, the "twin language" system is still in vogue. Due to rapid industrialization, and a bustling multinational influence in the economy, English continues to be a popular and influential means of communication in the government and day-to-day business, and moves to replace it have effectively been shelved.
Official languages (Central administrative)
Recognized national languages of India (Scheduled list for official use)
- Assamese (official language of Assam)
- Bengali (official language of Tripura and West Bengal)
- Bodo (official language of Assam)
- Dogri (official language of Jammu and Kashmir)
- Gujarati (official language of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Gujarat)
- Hindi (official language of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal)
- Kannada (official language of Karnataka)
- Kashmiri
- Konkani (official language of Goa)
- Maithili (official language of Bihar)
- Malayalam (official language of Kerala and Lakshadweep)
- Manipuri (Meithei) (official language of Manipur)
- Marathi (official language of Maharashtra)
- Nepali (official language of Sikkim)
- Oriya (official language of Orissa)
- Punjabi (official language of Punjab)
- Sanskrit
- Santali
- Sindhi
- Tamil (official language of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry)
- Telugu (official language of Andhra Pradesh)
- Urdu (official language of Jammu and Kashmir)
==Other popular languages of India== (over 5 million speakers but no official status)
- Awadhi (often considered a sub-variety of Hindi)
- Bhili (Bhil tribals)
- Bhojpuri (language of Bihar, often considered a sub-variety of Hindi)
- Bundeli (often considered a sub-variety of Hindi)
- Chhattisgarhi (language of Chhattisgarh, often considered a sub-variety of Hindi)
- Gondi (Gond tribals)
- Haryanvi (language of Haryana, often considered a sub-variety of Hindi)
- Hindustani A mixture of (Hindi and Urdu. This is spoken largely in the Northern part of India.)
- Kanauji (language of Uttar Pradesh, often considered a sub-variety of Hindi)
- Kodava, spoken in the Kodagu district of Karnataka
- Kutchi (language of Kutch, a region in Gujarat)
- Magahi (language of southern Bihar, often considered a sub-variety of Hindi)
- Marwari (language of Rajasthan, often considered a sub-variety of Hindi)
- Tulu (spoken by Tulu people of Karnataka and Kerala)
See also
External links
- Department of Official Language (DOL) – Official webpage explains the chronological events related to Official Languages Act and amendments
- Central Institute of Indian Languages – A comprehensive federal government site that offers complete info on Indian Languages
- Ethnologue – Ethnologue report on the languages of India