Ch 20 – Official Language | Exam Fusion Prep

📖 Constitutional Provision

XVII

Part

343–351

Articles

8th Schedule Langs

Classical Languages

Art 343 Hindi in Devanagari script → Official Language of Union
Art 344 Parliamentary Commission & Committee on Official Language
Art 351 Promotion & development of Hindi language

Background

1955 → 1st Official Language Commission · Chairperson: B.G. Kher Recommended replacement of English with Hindi for official work
1967 → Amendment in Official Language Act Until non-Hindi states adopt Hindi → English continues for government work

⚠ Exam Trap

Hindi is official language, NOT national language. India ka koi "national language" nahi hai — Constitution mein "National Language" ka mention hi nahi hai. 8th Schedule = 22 scheduled languages.

🏛️ Parliamentary Committee on Official Language

Total Members

From LS

From RS

Function → Review progress of Hindi in government work & give recommendations
1st Joint Parliamentary Committee → November 1957 Chairperson: Govind Vallabh Pant

💡 Quick Recall

Committee composition = 20 (LS) + 10 (RS) = 30 total. Same LS:RS ratio (2:1) as Public Accounts Committee (15+7=22). Remember — LS always has more members in joint committees.

📜 8th Schedule — 22 Scheduled Languages

Original Constitution — 14 Languages

Assamese Bengali Gujarati Hindi Kannada Kashmiri Malayalam Marathi Odiya Punjabi Sanskrit Tamil Telugu Urdu

Added Later — 8 Languages

Sindhi 21st Amend. 1967 Konkani 71st Amend. 1992 Manipuri 71st Amend. 1992 Nepali 71st Amend. 1992 Bodo 92nd Amend. 2003 Dogri 92nd Amend. 2003 Santhali 92nd Amend. 2003 Maithili 92nd Amend. 2003

⚠ Exam Trap — Amendment-wise Additions

21st Amendment (1967) → Sindhi (1 language). 71st Amendment (1992) → Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali (3 languages). 92nd Amendment (2003) → Bodo, Dogri, Santhali, Maithili (4 languages). Total added = 1+3+4 = 8. Original 14 + 8 = 22.

⚠ Exam Trap — BPSC Special

Maithili — Bihar ki major language — 92nd Amendment (2003) se 8th Schedule mein add hui. Santhali bhi 92nd Amendment se add hui. Bihar se related language question aata hai!

💡 Quick Recall

English is NOT in 8th Schedule. Sanskrit hai. Kashmiri, Sindhi — koi specific region nahi (state/UT without exclusive territory). Agar koi language 8th Schedule mein hai toh uske speaker UPSC exam Hindi/English ke alawa us language mein de sakte hain.

🏛️ Classical Languages — 11 Total

Established from 2004 onwards
Based on recommendations from committees formed by Sahitya Akademi
NOT mentioned in the Constitution

Criteria for Classical Language Status

Language must be 1500–2000 years old
Related to Traditional Literature
Availability of Ancient Texts & Literature

Timeline of Classical Language Declarations

2004

Tamil — 1st Classical Language

2005

Sanskrit

2008

Telugu & Kannada

2013

Malayalam

2014

Odia

2024 ⭐ NEW

Pali, Marathi, Prakrit, Assamese, Bengali
(5 languages added in 2024)

⚠ Exam Trap

Tamil = 1st Classical Language (2004). Total now = 11 Classical Languages (after 2024 additions). Classical Languages are NOT in Constitution — govt. decision, not constitutional provision. Maithili still NOT a classical language despite being in 8th Schedule.

📊 Classical Languages — Quick Reference

Year	Language(s) Declared Classical	Count
2004	Tamil 🥇 (First!)	1
2005	Sanskrit	1
2008	Telugu, Kannada	2
2013	Malayalam	1
2014	Odia	1
2024 🆕	Pali, Marathi, Prakrit, Assamese, Bengali	5
TOTAL		11

💡 Quick Recall

2024 mein 5 nayi classical languages add hui — Pali, Marathi, Prakrit, Assamese, Bengali. Ye current affairs + polity dono ka hissa hai. Pehle 6 thi (2004–2014), ab 11 ho gayi hain.

📅 Important Dates — Official Language

14 Sep 1949

Hindi Diwas

Hindi adopted as Official Language by Constituent Assembly · Celebrated annually on 14th September

10 January

World Hindi Day (Vishwa Hindi Diwas)

First World Hindi Conference held in Nagpur (1975). Celebrated globally on 10th January.

1955

1st Official Language Commission

Chairperson: B.G. Kher · Recommended replacing English with Hindi for official government work

Nov 1957

1st Joint Parliamentary Committee

Chairperson: Govind Vallabh Pant · First committee to review Hindi's progress in official use

1967

Official Language Act Amendment

English to continue for government work until non-Hindi speaking states adopt Hindi voluntarily

⚠ Exam Trap — Hindi Diwas vs World Hindi Day

Hindi Diwas = 14 September (1949) — National level, India mein manaya jaata hai. World Hindi Day (Vishwa Hindi Diwas) = 10 January — International level, globally celebrated. Dono alag dates hain — confuse mat karo!

📋 Key Articles — Official Language (Part XVII)

Article	Subject
343	Official Language of the Union → Hindi in Devanagari script
344	Parliamentary Commission & Committee on Official Language
345	Official Language of the State
346	Language for communication between States & the Union
348	Language of the Judiciary & Legislation
350(A)	Education in mother tongue at the primary stage
351	Promotion & development of Hindi language

💡 Quick Recall — Must-Know

Art. 343 — Hindi = Union Official Language. Art. 348 — SC & HC proceedings in English (unless President orders otherwise). Art. 351 — Centre's duty to develop Hindi. 8th Schedule — 22 languages (NOT part of Art. 343–351 range but linked).

⚠ Exam Trap

Art. 348 — SC and HC language = English (unless President authorizes otherwise). Many assume courts work in Hindi — but constitutionally, English is the court language at the highest levels.

8th Schedule Amendments Summary

Amendment	Year	Languages Added
21st	1967	Sindhi
71st	1992	Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali
92nd	2003	Bodo, Dogri, Santhali, Maithili

🗣️ Official Language