January 30, 2023
India is a country of different cultures. The 28 states and 8 union territories make up a large population of people speaking different languages. The question here arises, what is the national language of India? Most countries have one national language that is spoken by the majority of people in the country. India, however, does not have a national language. In place of the national language, there are 2 official languages of India and 22 other recognized languages. Let us find out more.
No, Hindi is not the national language of India. India does not have a national language, but Hindi and English are both official languages. As per Article 343 of the Indian constitution, Hindi (in Devanagari script) along with English are the official languages of India.
India, in particular, is a diverse country with hundreds of languages thus making it hard to have one national language. Here, national language refers to a language spoken by a vast majority in the country. Instead of a single national language, India has an official language. The Official Languages Act of 1963 mentions two languages—Hindi and English that may be used for the official purpose of the Union of India for the transaction of business in Parliament; for the purpose of any Indian state act; and for a certain purpose in the Hindi High Court.
Official languages are generally used in Government duties and tasks. Hindi is spoken by a large majority of the people including English. Therefore, the Government asked for the use of Hindi and English along with additional 22 languages of India that also have recognition by the Constitution.
As per the Eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution, there are 22 official languages of India. These languages, in particular, have the status of “recognition” from the constitution. Moreover, these languages also include the official languages of India ie. Hindi, and English.
The three official languages of India in colonial times were English, Urdu and Hindi. The government allowed the parliament to continue using English after the constitution of India went into effect in 1950. However, a few years later, resistance from non-Hindi-speaking people of the country caused the government to make both Hindi and English official languages.
India might not have a national language but there are hundreds of languages spoken across the nation. To get help learning these languages, as a student or otherwise, head to Chegg India. Subject experts with experience in different languages can help answer any queries. Register today to find out more.
There is no formal Indian national language. However, two official languages are meant for use at Government offices and courts, English and Hindi. Additionally, to cater to the rest of the population, there are 22 languages to which the constitution has given recognition to.
Hindi is our official language along with English. India is a diverse country where the spoken language changes in each state. Getting all of the population to learn and also speak Hindi would be a hard task. Therefore, the constitution gave the status of official language to Hindi.
The Indian constitution has, importantly, no national language. There are, instead, two official languages, Hindi and English. Both of these languages are for use in Government official work. Along with this, 22 other languages are also stated in the Constitution that has recognition.
There is no national language of India. Instead, there are two official languages, Hindi and English.
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