Eighth Schedule Languages: Quick Answer
The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists 22 languages as of 7 November 2026. It started with 14 languages in 1950. Sindhi was added in 1967 (21st Amendment), Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali in 1992 (71st Amendment), and Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali by the 92nd Amendment Act of 2003, in force 2004. No language has been added since.
🔥 Key Exam Takeaway: Total = 22. 14 + 1 + 3 + 4 = 22. English is NOT in the Eighth Schedule. India has NO national language — Hindi is the official language of the Union. The Schedule is linked to Articles 344(1) and 351. Oriya was renamed Odia by the 96th Amendment (2011).
What Is the Eighth Schedule? (Part XVII, Articles 343–351)
The Eighth Schedule is one of the 12 Schedules. It lists the languages the Constitution recognises for specific purposes, inside Part XVII (Articles 343–351).
| Provision | What it says |
|---|---|
| Article 343 | Hindi in Devanagari script is the official language of the Union. English continued 15 years from 1950, then by law (Official Languages Act, 1963). |
| Article 344(1) | The President constitutes a Commission on official language — a Chairman and members representing the Eighth Schedule languages — recommending the progressive use of Hindi and restrictions on English. |
| Article 345 | A state legislature may adopt any language in use in the state, or Hindi, as the official language of that state. |
| Article 351 | The Union must promote the spread and development of Hindi as a medium of expression for India's composite culture, enriching it from Hindustani and the Eighth Schedule languages, vocabulary primarily from Sanskrit. |
So the Schedule has two direct constitutional jobs: supplying the languages represented on the Official Language Commission (Article 344(1)), and supplying the languages from which Hindi is enriched (Article 351). Everything else — official status, funding, jobs — comes from other laws, not the Schedule itself.
Two exam facts follow. First, inclusion does not make a language official anywhere — that is fixed by Articles 343 and 345. Second, there are no fixed criteria for inclusion: the Home Ministry told the Lok Sabha (16 March 2021) that the Pahwa (1996) and Sitakant Mohapatra (2003) Committees both failed to frame any.
Complete List of the 22 Eighth Schedule Languages
The table follows the Schedule's own order. The 2003 group: Act 2003, in force 2004 — both correct; see history below.
| Language | Year added | Amendment | Script / family | Main state(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assamese | 1950 | Original | Assamese script; Indo-Aryan | Assam |
| Bengali | 1950 | Original | Bengali-Assamese script; Indo-Aryan | West Bengal, Tripura |
| Bodo | 2003 (in force 2004) | 92nd Amendment | Devanagari; Sino-Tibetan (Bodo-Garo) | Assam |
| Dogri | 2003 (in force 2004) | 92nd Amendment | Devanagari (Takri historically); Indo-Aryan | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Gujarati | 1950 | Original | Gujarati script; Indo-Aryan | Gujarat |
| Hindi | 1950 | Original | Devanagari; Indo-Aryan | UP, MP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Delhi and others; official language of the Union (Article 343) |
| Kannada | 1950 | Original | Kannada script; Dravidian | Karnataka |
| Kashmiri | 1950 | Original | Perso-Arabic (Nastaliq), also Devanagari; Indo-Aryan (Dardic) | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Konkani | 1992 | 71st Amendment | Devanagari (official in Goa); also Roman, Kannada, Malayalam, Perso-Arabic; Indo-Aryan | Goa, coastal Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra |
| Maithili | 2003 (in force 2004) | 92nd Amendment | Devanagari (Tirhuta/Mithilakshar historically); Indo-Aryan | Bihar, Jharkhand |
| Malayalam | 1950 | Original | Malayalam script; Dravidian | Kerala |
| Manipuri (Meitei) | 1992 | 71st Amendment | Meitei Mayek, also Bengali script; Sino-Tibetan (Tibeto-Burman) | Manipur |
| Marathi | 1950 | Original | Devanagari; Indo-Aryan | Maharashtra, Goa |
| Nepali | 1992 | 71st Amendment | Devanagari; Indo-Aryan | Sikkim, Darjeeling (West Bengal) |
| Odia | 1950 | Original | Odia script; Indo-Aryan | Odisha |
| Punjabi | 1950 | Original | Gurmukhi; Indo-Aryan | Punjab |
| Sanskrit | 1950 | Original | Devanagari; Indo-Aryan | Second official language of Uttarakhand (2010) and Himachal Pradesh (2019); classical and liturgical language used across India |
| Santhali | 2003 (in force 2004) | 92nd Amendment | Ol Chiki (also Devanagari, Bengali, Odia, Roman in use); Austroasiatic (Munda) | Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha |
| Sindhi | 1967 | 21st Amendment | Perso-Arabic and Devanagari; Indo-Aryan | No home state; Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi |
| Tamil | 1950 | Original | Tamil script; Dravidian | Tamil Nadu, Puducherry |
| Telugu | 1950 | Original | Telugu script; Dravidian | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| Urdu | 1950 | Original | Perso-Arabic (Nastaliq); Indo-Aryan | UP, Bihar, Telangana, J&K, Delhi |
Family totals: 15 Indo-Aryan, 4 Dravidian, 2 Sino-Tibetan, 1 Austroasiatic. The Dravidian four are Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu; the Sino-Tibetan two, Bodo and Manipuri; Santhali (Munda) is the only language outside those families.
How the List Grew: Amendment History
| Stage | What changed | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Constitution commenced, 26 January 1950 | Original Schedule of 14 languages (see table above) | 14 |
| 21st Amendment Act, 1967 | Sindhi added — the 15th language | 15 |
| 71st Amendment Act, 1992 | Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali added | 18 |
| 92nd Amendment Act, 2003 | Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali added | 22 |
| 96th Amendment Act, 2011 | "Oriya" renamed "Odia"; nothing added or removed | 22 |
The 2003/2004 dating conflict, stated plainly: the 92nd Amendment is the Constitution (Ninety-second Amendment) Act, 2003. Parliament passed it on 22–23 December 2003, the President assented on 7 January 2004, and it came into force the same day. That is why the Home Ministry says the four languages "were added in 2004" while most textbooks say 2003. Both dates describe the same amendment: 2003 is the Act, 2004 is when it took effect. Read the question's wording — the Amendment Act means 2003; the year of addition means 2004.
The Sindhi story changed what the Schedule means. Sindhi speakers lost their home territory in Partition in 1947 and were scattered across India with no linguistic state. Their demand was accepted in 1967, and the Schedule's purpose widened: designed mainly to support Hindi's development, it also became a source of recognition for minority languages without a state. The 96th Amendment changed only a name — "Oriya" became "Odia", following the state of Orissa becoming Odisha.
The Traps: What the Eighth Schedule Does NOT Mean
English is not in the Eighth Schedule. English serves official purposes under the Official Languages Act, 1963, and court proceedings under Article 348 — neither puts it in the Schedule. "Which language is NOT in the Eighth Schedule?" is one of the most repeated polity questions in SSC and railway exams, and English is the answer.
India has no national language. The Constitution declares no national language. Hindi is the official language of the Union under Article 343. "Official" means used for government business; "national" would mean representing the whole country.
Scheduled does not mean official. All 22 are "scheduled languages", but only Hindi is the Union's official language; state official languages are decided under Article 345. Konkani (Goa) and Nepali (Sikkim) are official under state law, not by the Schedule.
Demands are not additions. A 2012 Home Ministry reply recorded demands for 38 languages — Bhojpuri, Tulu, Rajasthani, Garhwali, Kodava, Khasi, Mizo, Bhoti, Angika — none under active consideration. The demands continue, but no language has been added since the 92nd Amendment took effect in 2004. Any list presenting Tulu, Bhojpuri or Rajasthani as scheduled languages is wrong as of 7 November 2026.
The Schedule is not the classical-languages list. Nine of the 11 classical languages are scheduled (Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Assamese, Bengali). The exceptions, Pali and Prakrit, hold classical status but are not scheduled. Classical status is a government designation; scheduled status is constitutional.
Firsts and Records
- Largest group: the original 14 of 1950 — over half the list, unchanged.
- First addition: Sindhi (1967) — the only language added singly, and the only scheduled language that is official in no state.
- Largest single expansion: the 92nd Amendment (2003/2004) — four at once.
- Longest gap without an addition: 1967–1992: 25 years, from Sindhi to the 71st Amendment.
- Most scripts: Konkani — Devanagari, Roman, Kannada, Malayalam and Perso-Arabic scripts.
- Oldest literature: Sanskrit, the first source for Hindi's vocabulary under Article 351.
- Only scheduled language with a modern invented script: Santhali — Ol Chiki script, created in the 20th century.
- Beyond SSC and banking: UPSC mains answers may be written in any scheduled language.
Common Mistakes Students Make
- Counting 23 or 24 languages. The total is 22. The usual cause is adding English, or a demanded language such as Tulu or Bhojpuri.
- Dating Sindhi to 1966 or 1968. It was the 21st Amendment, 1967 — the 15th language.
- Saying the 71st Amendment added four languages. It added three: Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali. Four came in the 92nd.
- Writing "Santali" and doubting it. Both "Santhali" and "Santali" appear in print; the Home Ministry's parliamentary answer uses "Santhali".
- Calling Manipuri and Meitei two languages. They are the same language: Manipuri is the Schedule's name, Meitei (Meiteilon) is the community's own name.
- Treating 2003 or 2004 as the only right date for the 92nd Amendment. Act 2003, in force 2004 — both are right; the question's wording decides.
- Treating Odia and Oriya as two languages. Same language; renamed in the Schedule by the 96th Amendment in 2011.
- Assuming every scheduled language is an official language of some state. Sindhi is official in no state; scheduled status alone grants none. (Sanskrit is a second official language of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.)
Memory Tricks
- The ladder: 14 + 1 + 3 + 4 = 22. 14 in 1950, 1 in 1967, 3 in 1992, 4 in 2003 — the ladder rebuilds the whole history.
- "Sindhi Sixty-Seven." One language, one year, one amendment — the 21st Amendment, 1967.
- "K-M-N in 92." Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali — the 71st Amendment, 1992, in alphabetical order.
- "B-D-M-S in 03." Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali — the 92nd Amendment, 2003: "92 added four".
- Families: 15-4-2-1. Fifteen Indo-Aryan, four Dravidian, two Sino-Tibetan, one Austroasiatic. The odd ones out are the exam favourites: Bodo and Manipuri (Sino-Tibetan), Santhali (Austroasiatic).
- Two traps, one line: "English is out, Sindhi has no state." Missing from the Schedule? Think English. Scheduled but stateless? Think Sindhi.
Practice Questions with Answers
Q1. How many languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution? (a) 14 (b) 18 (c) 22 (d) 24 Answer: (c) 22 — 14 + 1 + 3 + 4.
Q2. Which language was added to the Eighth Schedule by the 21st Amendment Act, 1967? (a) Konkani (b) Sindhi (c) Bodo (d) Dogri Answer: (b) Sindhi — the 15th language.
Q3. Which three languages were added by the 71st Amendment Act, 1992? (a) Bodo, Dogri, Maithili (b) Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali (c) Sindhi, Konkani, Nepali (d) Maithili, Santhali, Dogri Answer: (b) Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali — total 15 to 18.
Q4. Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali were added to the Eighth Schedule by: (a) 21st Amendment (b) 71st Amendment (c) 92nd Amendment (d) 96th Amendment Answer: (c) 92nd Amendment — Act of 2003, in force 7 January 2004, total to 22.
Q5. Which of the following languages is NOT included in the Eighth Schedule? (a) Urdu (b) Sindhi (c) English (d) Nepali Answer: (c) English — used officially under the Official Languages Act, 1963, but not scheduled.
Q6. Article 344(1) of the Constitution provides for the constitution of: (a) The Finance Commission (b) The Official Language Commission (c) The Election Commission (d) The Union Public Service Commission Answer: (b) The Official Language Commission — members represent the Eighth Schedule languages.
Q7. Article 351 of the Constitution directs the Union to promote the spread and development of: (a) English (b) Sanskrit (c) Hindi (d) Urdu Answer: (c) Hindi — enriched from Hindustani and the Eighth Schedule languages, vocabulary primarily from Sanskrit.
Q8. The 96th Amendment Act, 2011 substituted which word in the Eighth Schedule? (a) Bombay with Mumbai (b) Oriya with Odia (c) Madras with Chennai (d) Calcutta with Kolkata Answer: (b) Oriya with Odia — a name change only; nothing added or removed.
Q9. Which scheduled language has no home state of its own in India? (a) Konkani (b) Sindhi (c) Dogri (d) Bodo Answer: (b) Sindhi — its speakers were scattered across India after Partition in 1947.
Q10. Santhali is primarily written in which script? (a) Devanagari (b) Gurmukhi (c) Ol Chiki (d) Meitei Mayek Answer: (c) Ol Chiki — others also used; Meitei Mayek is Manipuri's script.
Eighth Schedule Languages FAQs
How many languages are in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?
22, as of 7 November 2026: 14 in 1950, plus the 1967, 1992 and 2003 (in force 2004) amendments.
Is English in the Eighth Schedule?
No. English is used for official purposes under the Official Languages Act, 1963, and for court proceedings under Article 348, but it is not listed in the Schedule.
Does India have a national language?
No. The Constitution declares no national language. Hindi in Devanagari script is the official language of the Union (Article 343).
What is the difference between a scheduled language and an official language?
A scheduled language is one of the 22 in the Schedule. An official language is designated by law for government business — Hindi for the Union (Article 343), state languages under Article 345. Inclusion alone makes nothing official.
Which languages are demanding inclusion in the Eighth Schedule?
Tulu, Bhojpuri and Rajasthani are most often cited; a 2012 Home Ministry reply recorded demands for 38 languages. None has been added; demands are not additions.
Is Odia different from Oriya?
No — same language. The 96th Amendment (2011) substituted "Odia" for "Oriya", matching Orissa's renaming to Odisha.
Related topics: revise Classical Languages of India, 12 Schedules trick, Important Articles, Important Constitutional Amendments and Sources of the Constitution next.
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Sources: Lok Sabha Unstarred Q. No. 3366, Ministry of Home Affairs, 16 March 2021 (official list, history, no fixed criteria); Constitution (Ninety-second Amendment) Act, 2003 (assent and commencement 7 January 2004); Constitution (Ninety-sixth Amendment) Act, 2011 (Oriya to Odia); PIB/MHA release on proposals for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule (38 languages, 2012); Constitution of India, Part XVII, Articles 343–351. As of 7 November 2026.