Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts (IGNCA) has proposed to conduct a linguistic survey across the country to create a ‘Language Atlas’ of India. IGNCA is an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Culture. India’s first and most detailed linguistic survey Sir was done by George Abraham Grierson, which was published in the year 1928. India is making efforts to provide education in the mother tongue, especially at the primary level. An important question remains on the actual number of languages that are taught. There is an urgent need to conduct a comprehensive linguistic survey to prepare a language atlas of India.
Linguistically Diverse is India
Historical Census Records
- The first and most exhaustive Linguistic Survey of India (LSI) was carried out by Sir George Abraham Grierson and published in 1928.
- The 1961 Census of India recorded 1,554 languages spoken in India.
- The Census of 1961 was the most detailed with respect to linguistic data. In this Census, even languages with a single speaker were included in the records.
- Since 1971, languages spoken by fewer than 10,000 individuals have been omitted from the Indian Census, leaving the native tongues of 1.2 million people unrecorded.
- This exclusion disproportionately impacts tribal communities, whose languages are frequently absent from official records.
- India now officially recognizes 22 languages listed in Schedule 8 of the Indian Constitution.
- 2011 Census data indicates that 97% of the population speaks one of these officially recognized languages.
- Additionally, there are 99 non-scheduled languages, according to the 2011 Census and around 37.8 million people identify one of these languages as their mother tongue.
- There are 121 languages which are spoken by 10,000 or more people in India.
Multilingualism in India
- India is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, this diversity offers a unique opportunity for Indians to be multilingual, which means being able to use more than one language in communication.
- According to the 2011 Census of India, more than 25% of the population speaks two languages, while about 7% speak three languages.
- Studies state that young Indians are more multilingual than their elder generation with about half the urban population aged 15 to 49 years speaking two languages.
Key Highlights of the Proposed Linguistic Survey
- The survey will focus on enumerating the number of languages and dialects in India, including those that are extinct or on the verge of extinction.
- It aims to collect data at both the state and regional levels, with plans to digitally archive audio recordings of all languages spoken.
- It also proposes to digitally archive the audio recordings of all the languages spoken.
- Stakeholders in the survey include Ministries of Culture, Education, Tribal Affairs, and others, along with various language communities.
Importance of a Linguistic Survey
Preservation of Cultural Heritage
- Linguistic surveys help in identifying and documenting languages, dialects, and scripts, thereby preserving cultural heritage and linguistic diversity.
Policy Formulation
- Data from linguistic surveys informs policymakers about the linguistic needs of different communities, facilitating the formulation of language-related policies in education, governance, and cultural affairs.
Education Planning
- Knowledge about the languages spoken in different regions helps in designing educational programs that cater to diverse linguistic backgrounds, promoting inclusive education.
Community Empowerment
- Linguistic surveys empower linguistic minorities and marginalised communities by recognizing and validating their languages, contributing to their socio-economic and cultural well-being.
Research and Documentation
- Linguistic surveys serve as valuable resources for researchers, linguists, and anthropologists studying language evolution, dialectology, and language contact phenomena.
Promotion of Multilingualism
- By raising awareness about the richness of linguistic diversity, linguistic surveys promote multilingualism and foster a sense of pride in one’s language and cultural identity.
Constitutional Provisions Related to Language
Eighth Schedule
- The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists the official languages of India. It includes 22 languages recognized as official languages.
- Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi,Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili and Dogri.
The Eighth Schedule also includes six classical languages currently
- Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).
- Part XVII of the Indian Constitution deals with the official languages of India in Articles 343 to 351.
Language of The Union
- Article 120: Deals with the language to be used in Parliament.
- Article 210: Similar to Article 120 but applies to the State Legislature.
- Article 343: Declares Hindi in Devnagari script as the official language of the Union.
- Article 344: Establishes a Commission and Committee of Parliament on official language.