Official Language of India: Part XVII, 8th Schedule & Classical Languages

Official language provisions are a high-frequency topic in Kerala PSC polity sections. Questions focus on constitutional articles, the 22 scheduled languages, classical language criteria, and the three-language formula. Master the tables below.

1. Constitutional Provisions — Part XVII (Articles 343-351)

Article	Provision
343	Official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script; numerals in international form
344	Commission and Committee of Parliament on Official Language
345	Official language of a state — state legislature may adopt any language in 8th Schedule or English
346	Official language for inter-state communication — Hindi or English
347	Special provision for language spoken by a section of population (President may direct on demand)
348	Language used in Supreme Court, High Courts — English (unless Parliament provides otherwise)
349	Special procedure for language-related Bills
350	Right to submit representations in any language used in the Union or state
350A	Facilities for instruction in mother tongue at primary stage (added by 7th Amendment, 1956)
350B	Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities (appointed by President)
351	Directive to develop Hindi — to serve as medium of expression for composite culture of India

2. Official Languages Act, 1963

Feature	Detail
Purpose	Continued use of English for official purposes even after 1965
Background	Article 343 envisaged Hindi replacing English after 15 years (1965); southern states protested
Key provision	English shall continue to be used for all official purposes of the Union along with Hindi
Amendment (1967)	Made continuation of English mandatory (not discretionary) until every state legislature resolves otherwise

3. 8th Schedule — 22 Scheduled Languages

No.	Language	Added By
1	Assamese	Original (1950)
2	Bengali	Original
3	Gujarati	Original
4	Hindi	Original
5	Kannada	Original
6	Kashmiri	Original
7	Malayalam	Original
8	Marathi	Original
9	Odia	Original
10	Punjabi	Original
11	Sanskrit	Original
12	Tamil	Original
13	Telugu	Original
14	Urdu	Original
15	Sindhi	21st Amendment Act, 1967
16	Konkani	71st Amendment Act, 1992
17	Manipuri (Meitei)	71st Amendment Act, 1992
18	Nepali	71st Amendment Act, 1992
19	Bodo	92nd Amendment Act, 2003
20	Dogri	92nd Amendment Act, 2003
21	Maithili	92nd Amendment Act, 2003
22	Santhali	92nd Amendment Act, 2003

Key counts: 14 original + 1 (21st Amendment) + 3 (71st Amendment) + 4 (92nd Amendment) = 22

4. Three-Language Formula

Feature	Detail
Recommended by	Kothari Commission (1964-66)
Languages	Hindi, English, and one modern Indian language (in Hindi-speaking states: a southern language)
NEP 2020	Reaffirmed three-language formula; flexibility in language choice; no imposition of any language
Purpose	National integration + multilingualism

5. Classical Language Status

Criteria for Classical Language Status
High antiquity of early texts/recorded history (1,500-2,000 years)
Body of ancient literature considered a heritage
Literary tradition must be original, not borrowed
Classical language may be distinct from its modern form

Languages with Classical Status

Language	Year Granted	Key Ancient Literature
Tamil	2004 (first)	Sangam Literature (300 BCE - 300 CE)
Sanskrit	2005	Vedas, Upanishads, Epics
Kannada	2008	Kavirajamarga (850 CE)
Telugu	2008	Nannayya’s Mahabharatam (11th century)
Malayalam	2013	Ramacharitam (12th-13th century)
Odia	2014	Madala Panji, Sarala Mahabharata

Benefits of classical status: Centre of excellence for study, international award for scholars, UGC professorial chairs.

6. Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities

Feature	Detail
Article	350B
Appointed by	President of India
Headquarters	Initially Allahabad; now functions from various locations
Added by	7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956
Function	Investigate safeguards for linguistic minorities; report to President (tabled in Parliament)

7. Official Language Commission (Article 344)

Feature	Detail
Constituted by	President
First Commission	B.G. Kher Commission (1955)
Composition	Chairman + members representing 22 scheduled languages
Function	Recommend progressive use of Hindi for official purposes
Committee of Parliament	30 members (20 Lok Sabha + 10 Rajya Sabha) to examine Commission’s recommendations

8. Language in Courts

Court	Language
Supreme Court	English only (Article 348)
High Courts	English; Governor may authorize Hindi/state language with President’s consent
Subordinate Courts	State official language or English as prescribed

9. Quick Comparison Table

Feature	Hindi	English
Constitutional status	Official language of the Union (Art. 343)	Associate official language (Official Languages Act, 1963)
Script	Devanagari	Roman
Court usage	Not in SC; possible in HCs with approval	SC and HCs
Continuation	Permanent	Continues until states resolve otherwise

10. Previous Year Question Patterns

• “How many languages in 8th Schedule?” — 22
• “Which was the first classical language?” — Tamil (2004)
• “Article for official language of Union?” — 343
• “Sindhi added by which amendment?” — 21st Amendment (1967)
• “92nd Amendment added how many languages?” — 4 (Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali)
• “Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities — which Article?” — 350B
• “Malayalam got classical status in?” — 2013
• “Three-language formula recommended by?” — Kothari Commission
• “Original scheduled languages?” — 14