Steps that Should be Taken to Protect the Linguistic Diversity of India

Steps that should be taken to protect the Linguistic Diversity of India includes:

  • Document and preserve endangered languages through national database, documentation projects and digital archives.
  • Promote multilingual education and raise awareness at the school level by teaching in mother language along with other languages.
  • To protect the linguistic diversity official communication can be done in regional language. 
  • Promote Indigenous Languages.
  • Organize festivals, cultural events, and language days to celebrate linguistic diversity.
  • Government can provide financial and institutional support for the promotion of the language.
  • Promote study and research in the regional languages.
  • All languages should be respected and protected under the law through inclusive policies.
  • Minority language speakers should be provided equal opportunity in education, and government services.

Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution

Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the 22 official languages of India. The languages are Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili and Dogri. These languages were included in the schedule to preserve linguistic diversity and grant special status and protection under the Constitution. The provision can be amended by the parliament to adapt to evolving linguistic considerations. The schedule strengthens the constitutional commitment to unity in diversity.

8th Schedule of Indian Constitution

Table of Content

  • List of Language in the Eighth Schedule
  • Chronology of Addition of Languages to the Eighth Schedule
  • Constitutional Provision Related to the 8th Schedule
  • Criteria to Include Language under Eighth Schedule
  • Classical Languages
  • Benefits of inclusion of Language under the Eighth Schedule
  • Steps that Should be Taken to protect the Linguistic Diversity of India 
  • Demands of languages for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule

Similar Reads

List of Language in the Eighth Schedule

The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India lists the 22 official languages of India. These languages are:...

Chronology of Addition of Languages to the Eighth Schedule

The chronology of addition of different languages to the eighth schedule is:...

Constitutional Provision Related to the Eighth Schedule

The Constitutional provisions related to the Eighth Schedule are:...

Criteria to Include Language Under Eighth Schedule

There is no specific criteria mentioned in the constitution for the inclusion of the language in the Eighth schedule. Pahwa (1996) and Sitakant Mohapatra (2003) committes were formed to decide the criteria for the inclusion of the language but yielded no results. It is difficult to decide the criteria as the evolution of dialects and languages is dynamic and is influenced by socio-eco-political developments of the time. The general criteria followed for the inclusion of language are as follows:...

Classical Languages

At present (2023) 6 languages enjoy the ‘Classical’ status in India. These are:...

Benefits of Inclusion of Language under the Eighth Schedule

Benefits of inclusion under the Eighth Schedule are as follows:...

Steps that Should be Taken to Protect the Linguistic Diversity of India

Steps that should be taken to protect the Linguistic Diversity of India includes:...

Demands for inclusion of Languages in the Eighth Schedule

At present, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs there are demands for inclusion of 39 more languages in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. These are:- (1) Angika, (2) Awadhi, (3) Banjara, (3) Bazika, (5) Bhojpuri, (6) Bhoti, (7) Bhotia, (8) Bundelkhandi (9) Chhattisgarhi, (10) Dhatki, (11) English, (12) Garhwali (Pahari), (13) Gondi, (14) Gujjar/Gujjari (15) Ho, (16) Kachachhi, (17) Kamtapuri, (18) Karbi, (19) Khasi, (20) Kodava (Coorg), (21) Kok Barak, (22) Kumaoni (Pahari), (23) Kurak, (24) Kurmali, (25) Lepcha, (26) Limbu, (27) Mizo (Lushai), (28) Magahi, (29) Mundari, (30) Nagpuri, (31) Nicobarese, (32) Pahari (Himachali), (33) Pali, (34) Rajasthani, (35) Sambalpuri/Kosali, (36) Shaurseni (Prakrit), (37) Siraiki, (38) Tenyidi and (39) Tulu...

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