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India is a diversified country with a variety of cultures in every region. It is made up of 28 states and eight union territories, each representing its distinct cultural legacy and accent. The eighth schedule of the Indian constitution lists 22 scheduled languages that are extensively spoken throughout the country. Due to the huge number of languages spoken in the country, defining the national language was challenging. So, what is India’s national language? Which language is India’s official language? Learn everything there is to know about the national language.
The Constitution of India does not grant any particular language the right to be designated as the country’s official language. On the other hand, both Hindi and English have been designated by the government as the languages that can be used for official business wherever in the country.
India’s official language
“The official language of the Union will be Hindi in Devanagari script,” says Article 343(1) of the Indian constitution. For formal purposes, the Union will use the international version of Indian numerals.”
Only Hindi or English can be used to conduct business in the Indian parliament or government offices. For official purposes throughout the country, including as parliamentary proceedings, communications between the Central Government and a State Government, and judicial affairs, English is permitted.
According to Article 343 of the Constitution, the Central Government communicates with the states of the Hindi Belt in Hindi.
The Associate official language is English, which must be used while communicating with the states.
In India, there are 22 official languages, as listed below:
Hindi
In India, Hindi is the most widely spoken and one of the official languages. It is a Devanagari-scripted Indo-European language.Hindi became an official language of India in 1950, and its usage in the Devanagari script was permitted by the Indian Constitution as an official language of the Union.
According to the 2001 census, 41 percent of Indians speak Hindi as their first language. The Hindi-speaking population climbed to 43.6 percent in the 2011 census. It is spoken by 53 crore people in India right now. If we consider the entire world, Hindi is the fourth most spoken language after Mandarin, Spanish, and English.
Hindi is a descendant of the Sanskrit language. Its mainstream form is based on the Khari Boli dialect of Delhi’s east and north.Braj Bhasha, Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Bagheli, Bundeli, Chhattisgarhi, Haryanawi, Garhwali, Kanuji, Kumayuni, Marwari, and Magahi are the primary varieties of Hindi. These dialects are sometimes known as Hindi zone or belt regional languages, as they are predominantly found in northern and central India. Chhattisgarhi, one of the Hindi dialects, was recently designated an official language of Chhattisgarh.
Bengali
Bengali, also known as Bangla, is India’s second most widely spoken language. It is spoken by approximately 9.7 crore people in India, or about 8% of the entire population. It is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mostly in South Asia, including several Indian states. In India, however, it varies a lot in terms of usage, terminology, pronunciation, and phonetic form.
Bengali is primarily spoken in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, and Jharkhand in India. It is the official language of West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura, as well as Jharkhand’s second official language. It is also the national language of Bangladesh and is spoken in Nepal, Pakistan, the United States, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada. The Bengali script or alphabet is written in horizontal lines from left to right and does not use capital characters. It is based on Brahmi, an ancient Indian script that is closely connected to Devanagari.
Marathi
The Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family includes the Marathi language. It is one of India’s 22 official languages and the country’s third most spoken language.It is spoken by approximately 8.3 crore people in India, or about 6.8% of the entire population. It is primarily spoken in the Indian state of Maharashtra, where it is also a co-official language. Maharashtra residents also speak it as a second language. Furthermore, it is utilised in government, education, the media, and business in this state. Along with Konkani, it has been recognised as an official language in the Indian state of Goa. It is also spoken in Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Telangana, and other states.
Marathi was first discovered in written form on a copper plate in Satara in 730 AD. The Kadamba alphabet was used for the majority of early Marathi inscriptions. It later employed Modi alphabets for administrative reasons from the 13th century until the 19th century, whilst the Balbodh form of Devanagari alphabets was largely used for poetry.
Telugu is a Dravidian language that belongs to the Dravidian language family’s South Central branch. It is widely spoken in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Yaman, and other parts of India. According to the 2001 census, Telugu had 73 million native speakers in India.
It is also an official language in the state of Andhra Pradesh and one of India’s 22 official languages. In addition, it is used as an official language in the Pondicherry district of Yanam. The Indian government designated Telugu as a classical language in 2008.
Other nations with Telugu speakers include the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Mauritius, and Australia. The first Telugu inscriptions were discovered on coins around 400 BC.
Conclusion
Hindi in Devanagari script is the official language “Indian Constitution Article 343(1). The Union will use international Indian numerals.”Indian parliament and government institutions only speak Hindi or English. English is allowed for official purposes across the country, including legislative proceedings, Central Government-State Government communications, and judicial matters.
Article 343 of the Constitution mandates that the Central Government speaks Hindi with the Hindi Belt states.Associate states must communicate in English, the official language.
