{"id":2630,"date":"2026-01-05T12:57:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T07:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=2630"},"modified":"2026-01-06T12:20:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T06:50:02","slug":"indian-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/indian-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian Languages, List, UPSC Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"

India has a rich heritage of languages and\u00a0literature<\/strong>. Many languages have emerged over the centuries. Some of them may not be spoken now, but they have left a rich literary legacy and a lasting influence on practically all Indian languages. The Indians speak languages belonging to four\u00a0distinct speech families<\/strong>: Austric, Dravidian, Sino-Tibetan, and Indo-European.<\/p>\r\n

As per the\u00a02011 census<\/strong>, there are as many as 122 languages and 234 mother tongues in the country with over 10,000 people speaking each of these languages.<\/p>\r\n

Indian Languages Diversity<\/h2>\r\n

India is a unique country with a rich language heritage.\u00a0Multilingualism\u00a0<\/strong>is a way of life, with people speaking multiple languages from birth and learning additional languages throughout their lives.<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  • Languages in India:\u00a0<\/strong>The\u00a0Peoples Linguistic Survey of India\u00a0<\/strong>has identified 780 languages, of which 50 have been extinct in the past five decades.<\/li>\r\n\t
  • Eight-Schedule:<\/strong>\u00a0The Indian Constitution recognized 22 languages under\u00a0the 8th\u00a0Schedule of the Constitution<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
  • Classical languages: Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia\u00a0<\/strong>have been recognized as classical languages with special status and recognition by the\u00a0Government of India.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    Indian Languages Writing Systems<\/h2>\r\n

    A writing system<\/strong>\u00a0comprises a particular set of symbols, called a script, as well as the rules by which the script represents a particular language. Since the invention of\u00a0scripts\u00a0<\/strong>by humans, writing has been a reflection of the culture, lifestyle, society, and polity of contemporary society.<\/p>\r\n

      \r\n\t
    • The Indus Valley Script:<\/strong>\u00a0The ancient\u00a0Indus script<\/strong>\u00a0has not yet been deciphered. The main corpus of writing includes 2,000 inscribed brief seals and tablets of 6 to 26 symbols.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • The Brahmi script:\u00a0<\/strong>Brahmi script, dating back to\u00a0the 8th Century B.C<\/strong>., is a syllabic alphabet with each character carrying a consonant and neutral vowel \"a\" and using extra strokes to combine different vowels.<\/li>\r\n\t
    • The Kharosthi script:<\/strong>\u00a0It appeared in 3rd c. BC in northern Pakistan and east Afghanistan. Kharosthi was used primarily for the\u00a0Prakrit dialect of Gandhari.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
    • Modern-day writing systems<\/strong>: Although Indian writing systems number at least 25, the major scripts are 14, out of which 12 originated from the Brahmi.\r\n\r\n
        \r\n\t
      • Like the Greek alphabet, it had many local variants and gave rise to many Asian scripts - Burmese, Thai, Tibetan, etc.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

        Indian Languages Family<\/h2>\r\n

        The languages are usually described in terms of their placement in the classification of languages, families, branches, or groups, which are decided based on the\u00a0grammatical characteristics of a specific language<\/strong>. The languages of India are classified into\u00a0four distinct families,<\/strong>\u00a0viz., Indo-European, Dravidian, Austro-Asiatic, and Tibeto-Burman.<\/p>\r\n

        The Indo-European Languages<\/h3>\r\n

        The largest chunk of languages and mother tongues belong to the\u00a0Indo-Aryan\u00a0<\/strong>sub-family of\u00a0Indo-European languages.<\/strong>\u00a0The immediate predecessor of Indo-Aryan happens to be Indo-Iranian, the oldest specimens of which are available in the\u00a0Zend-Avesta.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

          \r\n\t
        • In India, three sub-branches of the Indo-European language family exist namely\u00a0Indo-Aryan, Iranian, and Germanic.<\/strong>\r\n
            \r\n\t
          • Indo-Aryan:\u00a0<\/strong>Assamese, Bengali, Bhili\/Bhilodi, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Maithili, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, and Urdu.<\/li>\r\n\t
          • Iranian group<\/strong>: The only language present in India is Afghani\/Kabuli\/Pashto.<\/li>\r\n\t
          • Germanic group: English\u00a0<\/strong>is the\u00a0only language\u00a0<\/strong>of the\u00a0Germanic branch\u00a0<\/strong>of the Indo-European family.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

            The Dravidian Languages<\/h3>\r\n

            The family embraces\u00a0four major regional language<\/strong>\u00a0areas of southern India i.e.,\u00a0Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam<\/strong>. These four languages are counted as\u00a096.16 percent<\/strong>\u00a0of the total number of Dravidian language speakers in the country.<\/p>\r\n

              \r\n\t
            • The antiquity of Dravidian languages is largely due to the rich grammatical and linguistic-literary tradition of\u00a0Classical Tamil.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
            • Besides these four languages, there are\u00a026\u00a0<\/strong>Dravidian languages by the current count, of which 25 are spoken in India and\u00a0one (Brahui) is spoken in Balochistan<\/strong>\u00a0on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.<\/li>\r\n\t
            • The Springer Nature Group hypothesized that speakers of\u00a0ancestral Dravidian languages\u00a0<\/strong>had a stronger historical presence in northern India, including the\u00a0Indus Valley<\/strong>\u00a0region<\/strong>\u00a0from where they migrated.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

              The Austric Family<\/h3>\r\n

              The Austric family of languages is divided into\u00a0two branches<\/strong>,\u00a0Austroasiatic\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Austronesian<\/strong>, the latter formerly called Malayo-Polynesian. They are spoken in India, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.<\/p>\r\n

                \r\n\t
              • According to\u00a0Census 2011<\/strong>, in India, the Austro-Asiatic family is represented by the speakers belonging to the:\r\n\r\n
                  \r\n\t
                • Munda branch,\u00a0<\/strong>which inhabits the central and eastern parts of the country mostly in Jharkhand, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh.<\/li>\r\n\t
                • Mon-Khmer branch<\/strong>\u00a0including the Khasi group of languages of Meghalaya and Nicobarese of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                • There are\u00a014 Austro-Asiatic languages<\/strong>\u00a0spoken in India.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                  The Tibeto-Burman Languages<\/h3>\r\n

                  The Tibeto-Burman family is a part of\u00a0Sino-Tibetan languages<\/strong>, it forms a significant language family spoken in various central and South Asian countries, including India.<\/p>\r\n

                    \r\n\t
                  • The two main sub-families of the family are\u00a0Siamese-Chinese<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Tibeto Burman<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t
                  • Except\u00a0Khampti<\/strong>, the only representative of the Siamese Chinese sub-family, all the languages of the Tibeto-Chinese family spoken in India belong to the\u00a0Tibeto-Burman sub-family.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
                  • At present,\u00a066 Tibeto-Burman languages<\/strong>\u00a0are spoken in India.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                    Major Languages in India<\/h2>\r\n

                    Language is an important characteristic of a population, particularly in a multicultural country like India. Here are some major languages of India in the table below:<\/p>\r\n

                    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
                    Language\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\nDescription\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
                    Hindi<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    - Originated around 7th or 8th century.<\/p>\r\n

                    - Derived from a broken form of Sanskrit known as\u00a0\"Magadhi-Prakrit\"<\/strong>, the language bloomed under the pervasive influence of the\u00a0Bhakti movement.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

                    -\u00a0Official language of<\/strong>\u00a0Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh.<\/p>\r\n

                    -\u00a0Dialect:\u00a0<\/strong>Khariboli in the Devanagari script, Brajbhasa, Bundeli, Awadhi, Marwari, Maithili, and Bhojpuri.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

                    Bengali<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    - Its direct ancestor is a form of\u00a0Prakrit\u00a0<\/strong>or Middle Indo-Aryan which descended from\u00a0Sanskrit\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0Old Indo-Aryan.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

                    -\u00a0Official language:\u00a0<\/strong>West Bengal and Tripura.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

                    Assamese<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    - The base of its history can be found in Tantric literature,\u00a0Buddhist literature<\/strong>, Assamese folklore, and\u00a0Vedic literature<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n

                    -\u00a0Spoken in<\/strong>\u00a0Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and others.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

                    Marathi<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    - It can be traced back far beyond the 10th century and descends from Sanskrit through Pali, Maharashtri, and Maharashtra - Apabhramsa.<\/p>\r\n

                    -\u00a0Official language<\/strong>: Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

                    Meitei (Manipuri)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    - The Manipuri language is used as a\u00a0lingua franca<\/strong>\u00a0among other ethnic groups of Manipur.<\/p>\r\n

                    - Group:<\/strong>\u00a0It belongs to the Kuki Chin group of the Tibeto-Burman language family.<\/p>\r\n

                    - Spoken commonly in\u00a0Manipur<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

                    Telugu<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    - The most glorious phase of Telugu literature was during the reign of\u00a0Krishandeva Raya (1509-1529) of Vijaynagar.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

                    -\u00a0Spoken in<\/strong>\u00a0Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

                    Tamil<\/strong><\/td>\r\n-\u00a0Official language:<\/strong>\u00a0Tamil Nadu; owes its origin to Brahmi script.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
                    Urdu<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    - This language, though retaining traces of pre-Muslim dialects developed mainly by drawing its form and themes from the current\u00a0Persian literature<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n

                    - Spoken mainly in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

                    Gujarati<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    - Mainly spoken in the state of Gujarat and adjoining States<\/p>\r\n

                    -\u00a0Script<\/strong>: Saraphi<\/p>\r\n

                    - The syllabary is Sanskrit and the shape of the letters bears a close resemblance to\u00a0Devanagari<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

                    Kannada<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    -\u00a0Group:\u00a0<\/strong>Dravidian Language Family<\/p>\r\n

                    - Declared as a\u00a0'Classical Language\u2019 in 2008.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

                    Malayalam<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    - It originated as a dialect of Tamil in the Odeyar region.<\/p>\r\n

                    -\u00a0Official Language:\u00a0<\/strong>Kerala<\/p>\r\n

                    - In Malayalam, the alphabet known as 'Arya Ezhuttu\u2019 (introduced in the 17th century) is used.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

                    Odia<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    -\u00a0Group:\u00a0<\/strong>Indo-Aryan language.<\/p>\r\n

                    -\u00a0Official Language:\u00a0<\/strong>Odisha<\/p>\r\n

                    - Declared as a classical language.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

                    Maithili\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n\r\n

                    -\u00a0Mainly spoken in<\/strong>\u00a0Bihar and Jharkhand states.<\/p>\r\n

                    -\u00a0Group:<\/strong>\u00a0Eastern Bihari branch of the Indo-Aryan language family, and is closely related to Bhojpuri and Magahi languages.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

                    Tribal Language<\/h2>\r\n

                    Languages of India, like the culture and tribes of India, are numerous. Indian tribal languages can be defined as essentially\u00a0\u201cfolk\u201d languages<\/strong>, spoken by people of ethnic groups who prefer to live in relatively isolated groups.<\/p>\r\n

                      \r\n\t
                    • Features:\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
                    • Indian tribal languages are extremely orderly and well organized due to a developed past and enlightened educational interference.<\/li>\r\n\t
                    • They are preserved orally in songs, folktales, and legends, with folk tales primarily comprising these languages and\u00a0dialects<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t
                    • Leading tribal language-speaking tribes groups comprise\u00a0<\/strong>Garo, Chakma, Naga, Gond, Mizo, Santhali, Khasia, Oraon, and Manipuri tribesmen.<\/li>\r\n\t
                    • Only 7 tribal languages have a script.<\/strong>\u00a0They are Santali (Olchiki), Saora (Sorang Sampeng), Ho (Warangchiti), Kui (Kui Script), Oraon (Kukhud Tod), Mundari (Bani Hisir), Bhumij (Bhumij Anl).<\/li>\r\n\t
                    • Tribal languages prevalent in India:<\/strong>\u00a0Abujmaria, Garo, Aaria, Tsangla, Saurashtri, etc.\r\n\r\n
                        \r\n\t
                      • The Paite, Thadou, Hmar, and Tangkhul languages are some of the tribal languages spoken in most of the northeastern parts of the\u00a0Indian subcontinent<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                        Threats<\/h2>\r\n

                        According to\u00a0UNESCO<\/strong>, any language that is spoken by <10,000 people is\u00a0potentially endangered<\/strong>. Some 197 languages are in various stages of endangerment in India. The following are the threats and reasons for the endangerment\/extinction of languages in India.<\/p>\r\n

                          \r\n\t
                        • Globalisation:\u00a0<\/strong>The repository of languages, dialects, and the cultural heritage associated with it was sinking under\u00a0globalisation<\/strong>, which has been constantly threatening its extinction.<\/li>\r\n\t
                        • Supremacy of English:\u00a0<\/strong>The introduction of English in India during the colonial period threatened our native language, allowing us to continue being ruled by language-superior forces. English's global importance reflects its superiority over our\u00a0linguistic heritage.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t
                        • Lack of data on many languages:<\/strong>\u00a0From 1971 onwards, the\u00a0Census\u00a0<\/strong>only counts languages with more than 10,000 speakers.\r\n\r\n
                            \r\n\t
                          • In the absence of thorough surveys of languages, it is difficult to determine how many languages there are in existence.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                          • Lack of writing system and endangered languages:<\/strong>\u00a0In India, 197 languages are categorised as endangered. Out of these, only two languages,\u00a0Boro and Meithei\u00a0<\/strong>- have official status in India while many others do not even have a writing system.<\/li>\r\n\t
                          • Many unscripted languages:\u00a0<\/strong>One of the reasons behind languages becoming extinct is that the government currently defines a language as one that is marked by a script. As a result of this, more unscripted languages are now facing the danger of extinction.\r\n\r\n
                              \r\n\t
                            • Most of these languages are spoken by marginalised communities.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                              Preservation of Indian Languages<\/h2>\r\n

                              Preserving languages is vital for cultural heritage, identity, and communication. Languages carry unique knowledge, traditions, and ways of thinking. The following are some of the measures undertaken to preserve the languages in India:<\/p>\r\n

                                \r\n\t
                              • Constitutional provisions<\/strong>:\u00a0Articles 343\u2013351\u00a0<\/strong>of\u00a0Part XVII\u00a0<\/strong>of the Constitution deal with the official language.\r\n\r\n
                                  \r\n\t
                                • The Constitutional provisions relating to the Eighth Schedule occur in Articles 344(1) and 351 of the Constitution.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t
                                • Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages of India:\u00a0<\/strong>The Central Institute of Indian Languages is implementing a scheme to safeguard, preserve, and document all endangered languages spoken by less than 10,000 Indians.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                • Central Institute of Indian Languages:\u00a0<\/strong>It was set up in 1969 to help in evolving and implementing the language policy of the Government of India and to coordinate the development of Indian Languages.<\/li>\r\n\t
                                • Other Initiatives:\u00a0<\/strong>The\u00a0University Grants Commission<\/strong>\u00a0has launched\u00a0two schemes<\/strong>\u00a0to protect endangered languages: 'Funding Support to State Universities for Indigenous and Endangered Languages Study and Research' and 'Establishment of Centres for Endangered Languages'.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

                                  Indian Languages UPSC PYQs<\/h2>\r\n

                                  Question 1:<\/strong>\u00a0With reference to India, the terms \u2018Halbi, Ho, and Kui\u2019 pertain to\u00a0(UPSC Prelims 2021)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

                                    \r\n\t
                                  1. Dance forms of Northwest India<\/li>\r\n\t
                                  2. Musical instruments<\/li>\r\n\t
                                  3. Pre-historic cave paintings<\/li>\r\n\t
                                  4. Tribal Languages<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

                                    Answer: (d)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

                                    Question 2:\u00a0<\/strong>Which one of the following was given classical language status recently?\u00a0(UPSC Prelims 2015)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

                                      \r\n\t
                                    1. \u00a0Odia<\/li>\r\n\t
                                    2. \u00a0Konkani<\/li>\r\n\t
                                    3. \u00a0Bhojpuri<\/li>\r\n\t
                                    4. \u00a0Assamese<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

                                      Answer: (a)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

                                      Question 3:\u00a0<\/strong>Consider the following languages\u00a0(UPSC Prelims 2014)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

                                        \r\n\t
                                      1. Gujarati<\/li>\r\n\t
                                      2. Kannada<\/li>\r\n\t
                                      3. Telugu<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

                                        Which of the above has\/have been declared as 'Classical Language \/ Languages' by the Government?<\/p>\r\n

                                          \r\n\t
                                        1. 1 and 2 only<\/li>\r\n\t
                                        2. 3 only<\/li>\r\n\t
                                        3. 2 and 3 only<\/li>\r\n\t
                                        4. 1, 2 and 3<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

                                          Answer: (c)<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                          The Constitution of India has recognised 22 official languages. The Indian people speak languages belonging to four major distinct speech families: the Austric, Dravidian, Sino-Tibetan, and Indo-European.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2631,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[64,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-2630","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-notes","8":"tag-indian-languages","9":"tag-quest"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2630"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19718,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630\/revisions\/19718"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}