Languages of India: the 22 languages of the Constitution and other facts
The 22 languages of the Eighth Schedule and when each was added, the 11 classical languages, language families, the official-language rule and linguistic states.
Rohit Tandon · 24 October 2026 · 4 min read
India is among the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. Every few hundred kilometres the language, the dialect and even the way of writing changes. To respect this diversity, our Constitution gives some languages a special status. Here are the languages of India — from the Constitution's 22 languages to the classical languages and the language families — in simple words.
The 22 languages of the Eighth Schedule
The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution today lists 22 languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
| Year | Amendment | Languages added | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Original Constitution | 14 languages | 14 |
| 1967 | 21st Amendment | Sindhi | 15 |
| 1992 | 71st Amendment | Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali | 18 |
| 2003 | 92nd Amendment | Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali | 22 |
In 2011 the 96th Amendment changed the name "Oriya" to "Odia". Read more about the Constitution in 15 interesting facts about the Constitution.
An official language, not a national language
Many people believe Hindi is India's "national language", but the Constitution does not call any language the national language. Under Article 343, Hindi in the Devanagari script is the "official language" of the Union, and under the Official Languages Act of 1963, English also continues to be used for official work. Each state can choose one or more official languages of its own. The Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi as the official language on 14 September 1949, which is why "Hindi Diwas" is observed on that day every year.
India's 11 classical languages
The government gives "classical language" status to languages whose literature is very old, rich and original:
- 2004: Tamil — the first classical language.
- 2005: Sanskrit.
- 2008: Kannada and Telugu.
- 2013: Malayalam.
- 2014: Odia.
- 2024: Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali — making 11 in all.
Read about the debate over the oldest language in Which is the oldest language in the world.
Did you know? The language panel on the back of Indian banknotes shows the note's value in 15 languages. With Hindi and English on the front, a single note carries 17 languages in all.
India's language families
| Language family | Examples | Speakers (2011 Census, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Indo-European (Indo-Aryan) | Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi | 78% |
| Dravidian | Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam | 19.6% |
| Austroasiatic | Santhali, Mundari, Khasi | 1.1% |
| Tibeto-Burman | Manipuri (Meitei), Bodo, Garo | 1% |
Many scripts
India's languages differ not only in speech but in writing too. Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit and Nepali are written in Devanagari; Bengali and Assamese in the Bengali-Assamese script; Punjabi in Gurmukhi; Gujarati, Odia, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam each in a script of its own; and Urdu and Kashmiri in the Perso-Arabic script. Santhali has its own script, "Ol Chiki", created in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu, and Manipuri is also written in the "Meitei Mayek" script. Almost all these Indian scripts have their roots in the ancient Brahmi script.
States formed on the basis of language
After independence, people speaking different languages demanded states based on their language. In 1952 Potti Sriramulu fasted for a Telugu-speaking state and died; after that, Andhra State was formed in 1953. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 then redrew state boundaries on a large scale along language lines. "International Mother Language Day" is observed every year on 21 February. The diversity of Indian culture: Interesting facts about Indian culture.
Key points
- The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution has 22 languages; it began with 14.
- Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali were added in 2003.
- The Constitution names no "national language"; Hindi is the official language of the Union.
- India has 11 classical languages; the first was Tamil (2004).
- States were reorganised on the basis of language in 1956.
Frequently asked questions
How many languages are in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution?
22 languages.
Is Hindi the national language of India?
No, the Constitution names no national language; Hindi in Devanagari is the official language of the Union.
More articles: Indian polity · Practise: Polity questions.
Sources
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