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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Demand for inclusion of Kokborok and Bhojpuri in Eighth Schedule of Constitution: A must-know for UPSC Exam
Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today on the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. (Relevance: The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution is an important topic for UPSC CSE. Previously, the commission has asked questions on it; for instance, in the 2024 prelims, a question was asked on the languages included in the Eighth Schedule through the Constitution (71st Amendment) Act, 1992. Thus, knowing about the Eight Schedule from a broader perspective becomes essential.) Recently, in a letter to Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, the Kokborok Sahitya Parishad sought the inclusion of the Kokborok language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The tribal literary body stated that the script for the Kokborok language can either be Bengali or Devanagari. Notably, earlier on International Mother Tongue Day (February 21), at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Dr Santosh Patel and a group of supporters gathered to demand the inclusion of Bhojpuri in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Spoken by millions of people across several countries, Bhojpuri holds constitutional status in both Mauritius and Nepal, but it remains constitutionally unrecognised in India. In the context of rising demands for inclusion of various languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, let's understand what this schedule is all about and other important aspects related to it. 1. The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India lists the languages officially recognised by the Government of India. Articles 344(1) and 351 of the Constitution contain provisions relating to the Eighth Schedule. 2. Article 344 (1) provides for the constitution of a Commission by the President on expiration of five years from the commencement of the Constitution and thereafter at the expiration of ten years from such commencement, which shall consist of a Chairman and such other members representing the different languages specified in the Eighth Schedule to make recommendations to the President for the progressive use of Hindi for official purposes of the Union. 3. Article 351 of the Constitution provides that it shall be the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India and to secure its enrichment by assimilating without interfering with its genius, the forms, style and expressions used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India specified in the Eighth Schedule, and by drawing, wherever necessary or desirable, for its vocabulary, primarily, on Sanskrit and secondarily on other languages. 4. As of May 2025, 22 languages have been classified under the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. Initially, however, the Eighth Schedule included 14 languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya (renamed to Odia in 2011), Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. 5. These 14 languages were selected from among the hundreds identified by George A Grierson in his Linguistic Survey of India which catalogued over 700 linguistic varieties across the subcontinent as early as 1927. 6. Over time, the Schedule expanded beyond the original 14 languages to include Bodo, Dogri, Konkani, Maithili, Manipuri, Nepali, Santhali, and Sindhi, bringing the total to 22. 7. Sindhi was added through the 21st Amendment Act of 1967; Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali were added by the 71st Amendment Act of 1992; and Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali were included through the 92nd Amendment Act of 2003. 8. Interestingly, English — despite its widespread use and role in official spheres — has never been part of the Eighth Schedule. 1. The Constituent Assembly did not lay down any formal criteria for the inclusion of languages in the Eighth Schedule. However, from time to time, efforts have been made by various committees to define clearer criteria for inclusion. 2. The Ashok Pahwa Committee (1996) proposed that a language could be included in the Eighth Schedule if: (i) it was an official language in at least one state; (ii) a significant portion of a state's population spoke it; (iii) it was an independent language rather than a dialect or derivative of one already listed; (iv) it had recognition from the Sahitya Akademi; and (v) it possessed a well-defined and developed literary tradition. 3. Later, the Sitakant Mohapatra Committee (2003) added more specific benchmarks. It recommended that a language must have at least 5 million speakers, based on census data from the previous three decades, to qualify as being spoken by a substantial population. The language should also serve as a medium of instruction at least up to the secondary level, preferably extending to the university level. Additionally, its script—whether indigenous, borrowed from a dominant regional language, or using Devanagari—should have been in established use for at least 50 years. 4. Notably, despite these efforts, no official standard has been adopted for selecting languages for the Eight schedule. The Ministry of Home Affairs confirms this position: 'As the evolution of dialects and languages is dynamic, influenced by socio-eco-political developments, it is difficult to fix any criterion for languages, whether to distinguish them from dialects, or for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.' The benefits of being listed in the Eighth Schedule are both symbolic and practical. Such as: (i) Languages listed in the Eighth Schedule are eligible for translation services in Parliament if spoken by any member, (ii) They are included as options in the Indian language paper for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations, (iii) Receive developmental funds from the central government, as language falls under the Concurrent List. 1. Last year, 'Classical Language' status was granted to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali, and it brought the total number of officially designated classical languages to 11. Previously, only six languages held the 'Classical' status: Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014). (Notably, among all the classical languages, Prakrit and Pali are the two classical languages that are not mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.) 2. Classical languages are considered the custodians of India's ancient and profound cultural heritage. They preserve the rich history, literature, and traditions of their respective communities. The government grants this status to languages to honor and safeguard the linguistic milestones of India's diverse cultural landscape. 3. In October 2004, the Centre decided to create a new category of languages as 'classical languages'. On October 12, 2004, Tamil became the first Indian language to receive 'classical' status due to its high antiquity and rich literary tradition. (1) The Constitution (71st Amendment) Act, 1992 amends the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution to include which of the following languages? (UPSC 2024) 1. Konkani 2. Manipuri 3. Nepali 4. Maithili Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1, 2 and 4 (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4 (2) The Ashok Pahwa Committee (1996) and Sitakant Mohapatra Committee (2003) were associated with: (a) Reforms in the Lok Sabha (b) Caste Census (c) Eighth Schedule (d) Delimitation (3) Consider the following languages: 1. Manipuri 2. Bodo 3. Kashmiri What is the correct chronological order of these languages as they were included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution of India? (a) 3—2—1 (b) 1—2—3 (c) 2—1—3 (d) 3—1—2 (Sources: Knowledge Nugget of the day: Classical languages, The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution: how language inclusion creates exclusion) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
MoU signed to include Garo, Khasi languages of Meghalaya in Bhasini platform
Shillong, The Meghalaya government on Tuesday signed an MoU with the central government's Digital India Bhashini Division for the integration of the state's Garo and Khasi languages into the platform, officials said. The Bhashini platform is breaking down language barriers by providing seamless access to government services in 22 languages. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma who was present during the signing of the MoU said this is a landmark step towards linguistic inclusion. The inclusion of the Garo and Khasi languages enables Meghalaya to join a select group of states making their indigenous languages digitally accessible across the nation. "Technology today has reached a level that was once unimaginable. This step will have a profound impact across all aspects of society and governance, from grassroots communication to enhancing tourism, entrepreneurship, education, and healthcare," Sangma said. This initiative will revolutionise how government departments communicate and engage with citizens and open new opportunities for entrepreneurs and help in making governance more inclusive and effective, he said. 'I encourage everyone to use technology to forward job creation, innovation, and entrepreneurship," the chief minister said. As part of the initial implementation, a State Language Mission for Bhashini has been constituted under Chief Secretary DP Wahlang. The Mission will ensure seamless integration, research, and the continued development of digital resources for Garo and Khasi languages, including the incorporation of distinct alphabets and dialectical nuances, according to an official statement. While technology will facilitate overcoming challenges, it is critical to preserve the essence of indigenous languages and cultures, he said. "Language is our identity. Culture defines who we are. While we embrace technology, we must never forget our roots. Our government is committed to research, conservation, and documentation of the languages, cultures, and histories of all tribes and communities in Meghalaya," Sangma added. Discussions are also on to explore deeper historical and cultural connections between the tribes of Meghalaya and those in other regions such as Myanmar and Cambodia, the chief minister said. CEO of Digital India Bhashini Division, Amitabh Nag, and Commissioner Secretary of IT Department Pravin Bakshi signed the MoU for implementation of the initiative in the state. Meghalaya has been demanding that the two languages - Khasi and Garo be recognised as national languages under the Constitution's Eighth Schedule.
