Eighth Schedule
Why it Matters?
India’s linguistic diversity, protected through constitutional provisions like the Eighth Schedule and Article 29, is central to preserving the country’s unique model of linguistic secularism.
What You Should Know?
It is part of Part XVII of the Constitution, which deals with official languages (Articles 343 to 351).
Article 344(1) provides for a Commission by the President to recommend progressive use of Hindi, after 5 years of commencement and then every 10 years.
Article 351 obligates the Union to promote the spread of Hindi as a medium of expression for the composite culture of India.
The Eighth Schedule initially included 14 languages in 1950.
Sindhi was added by the 21st Amendment Act, 1967.
Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali were added by the 71st Amendment Act, 1992.
Bodo, Santhali, Maithili, and Dogri were added by the 92nd Amendment Act, 2003 (enforced in 2004).
The total number of languages now is 22.
English is not included in the Eighth Schedule.
There is no fixed criterion for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule.The Government considers factors like socio-cultural importance, widespread use, and linguistic evolution while examining inclusion demands.
India has no national language, and Hindi is the official language of the Union (Article 343).