The National Language of India according to the Indian Constitution has been a subject of discussion since the establishment of the constitution. It’s important to note that India doesn’t have a national language. The official language of India is distinct from a national language. The Constitution doesn’t specify any language as the national language.
The status of a single national language of India was not given to a particular language. Hindi is a language that is covered by around 40 percent of the Indian population, however, it would be a problem to declare it a national language as the majority of the population does not accept the same.
Hindi and English had been declared as two official languages of communication by the Constitution of India for the national government. In addition, it contains a list of 22 official languages and is entitled to represent the Official Language Commission.
The major languages spoken in India’s 28 states and eight union territories are listed below:
| State/UT | Language Spoken |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Telugu |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Nissi/Dafla, Adi |
| Assam | Assamese, Bodo |
| Bihar | Hindi, Maithili |
| Chattisgarh | Hindi |
| Goa | Konkani |
| Gujarat | Gujarati |
| Haryana | Hindi |
| Himachal Pradesh | Hindi |
| Jharkhand | Hindi |
| Karnataka | Kannada |
| Kerala | Malayalam |
| Madhya Pradesh | Hindi |
| Maharashtra | Marathi |
| Manipur | Manipuri |
| Meghalaya | Khasi, Garo |
| Mizoram | Lushai/Mizo |
| Nagaland | Konyak, Ao, Sema |
| Odisha | Odia |
| Punjab | Punjabi |
| Rajasthan | Hindi |
| Sikkim | Nepali |
| Tamilnadu | Tamil |
| Telangana | Telugu |
| Tripura | Bengali |
| Uttarakhand | Hindi |
| Uttar Pradesh | Hindi |
| West Bengal | Bengali |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Bengali, Hindi, Tamil |
| Chandigarh | Hindi |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Gujarati & Hindi in Daman & Diu, Bhili/Bhilodi, Hindi in Dadra & Nagar Haveli |
| NCT of Delhi | Hindi |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Kashmiri, Hindi, Dogri |
| Ladakh | Ladakhi, Purgi, and Balti |
| Lakshadweep | Malayalam |
| Puducherry | Tamil |
Official Languages of India
The two important Official Language as per the Indian Constitution, Article 343 used by the central administration are as follows:
- Hindi: As per Article 343, Hindi is a language to be used by the Central Government while communicating with states located in the “Hindi Belt”.
- English: English is referred to as the Associate official language and the language which is to be used while communicating with other states.
List of 22 Official Scheduled Languages of India
| Language | Recognition in States |
|---|---|
| 1. Assamese | Assam and Arunachal Pradesh |
| 2. Bengali | West Bengal and Tripura |
| 3. Bodo | Assam |
| 4. Dogri | Language of Jammu and Kashmir |
| 5. Gujarati | Dadra and Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Gujarat |
| 6. Hindi | Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bihar, Dadra and Haveli, Daman and Diu, Chhattisgarh,Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu andKashmir, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. |
| 7. Kannada | Karnataka |
| 8. Kashmiri | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 9. Konkani | Dadra and Haveli, Daman and Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala |
| 10. Maithili | Bihar and Jharkhand |
| 11. Malayalam | Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry |
| 12. Manipuri | Manipur |
| 13. Marathi | Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu |
| 14. Nepali | Sikkim and West Bengal |
| 15. Odia | Orissa |
| 16. Punjabi | Punjab, Chandigarh, second official language Delhi, and Haryana |
| 17. Sanskrit | Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand |
| 18. Santali | Jharkhand and also Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Odisha, Tripura, and WestBengal |
| 19. Sindhi | Gujarat and Maharashtra |
| 20. Tamil | Tamil Nadu and Puducherry |
| 21. Telugu | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Puducherry |
| 22. Urdu | Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Jharkhand, Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal |
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