Languages with official status in India

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Languages with official status in India

India is a linguistically diverse country with a multitude of languages spoken across its vast expanse. The Constitution of India recognizes several languages as having official status, which are used for various administrative, educational, and governmental purposes.

Constitutional Provisions[edit | edit source]

The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India lists the official languages. Initially, the schedule included 14 languages, but it has since been expanded to 22 languages. These languages are:

Official Languages Act[edit | edit source]

The Official Languages Act, 1963 provides for the continued use of English alongside Hindi for official purposes of the Union Government and for communication between the Union Government and the State Governments.

Regional Languages[edit | edit source]

Apart from the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule, several states in India have their own official languages. For example:

Classical Languages[edit | edit source]

The Government of India has also accorded the status of Classical Language to six languages based on their rich heritage and historical significance. These languages are: