India has a diverse ethnic culture, customs, and language. Different ethnic groups in India speak a wide range of languages. This is true in every sense; thus, it makes sense. India, a union of 28 states plus 8 union territories, has a wide range of languages that shift every few kilometres. However, India does not have any national language. An official language is different from a national language. You will learn more about popular National Language of India from this page.
National Language of India
No one language was given the title of national language under our Constitution. Given that just 40% of Indians speak Hindi, it is not considered to be the country’s official language. Therefore, this would be an issue for the rest of the population since everyone would have to learn Hindi, which is completely impractical. The Hindi and English languages are designated as the national government’s two official languages of communication under the Indian Constitution. It also includes a list of the 22 official languages (including Hindi and English).
The National Language of India
According to Article 343(1) of the Indian Constitution, Hindi written in Devanagari shall be the official language of the Union. For all official purposes of the Union, the internationalized form of Indian numerals should be used.
In the Indian parliament and government buildings, only Hindi or English is permitted for official business. English is the official language that may be used across the country for legislative sessions, correspondence between the Central and State governments, and legal actions.
According to Article 343, the Central Government exclusively interacts in Hindi with the states within the Hindi Belt.
English should be used as an Associate Official Language when communicating with the States.
National Language Vs Official Language
The term “national language” refers to any language that is spoken by a large part of a nation’s population. It has political, cultural, and social functions. The government or legislature frequently acknowledges and adopts the language used for official action, such as in the national court, parliament, or for business reasons.
The Central Government must interact with the Hindi States in Hindi in compliance with Article 343 of the Constitution. English is to be used as an associate official language when speaking with the states. Therefore, contrary to what the Constitution specifies, Hindi and English are the official languages of India.
22 Official Language of India List
After several adjustments, the additional languages were finally included; initially, only 14 languages were shown. Check out the complete List of National Language of India that are recognised under the Indian Constitution.
| Sr. No | Language |
| 1 | Assamese |
| 2 | Bengali |
| 3 | Bodo |
| 4 | Dogri |
| 5 | Gujarati |
| 6 | Hindi |
| 7 | Kannada |
| Kashmiri | |
| 9 | Konkani |
| 10 | Maithili |
| 11 | Malayalam |
| 12 | Manipuri |
| 13 | Marathi |
| 14 | Nepali |
| 15 | Odia |
| 16 | Punjabi |
| 17 | Sanskrit |
| 18 | Santali |
| 19 | Sindhi |
| 20 | Tamil |
| 21 | Telugu |
| 22 | Urdu |
FAQs
- How many languages are listed in the Indian Constitution’s eighth schedule?
Ans. The Indian Constitution’s eighth schedule lists 22 distinct languages.
- Is Hindi India’s official language?
Ans. Although it is an official language, Hindi is not the national language of India.
Q Which languages are most widely used in India?
Ans. The most widely used languages in India are Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, and Tamil.
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