Languages under 8th schedule

 l 22 languages are under the 8^th schedule of our constitution.

l At the time of independence it was just 14.

l In 1967 Sindhi was included.

l In 1992 Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali were added to that list raising number to 18.

l In 2004, by 100^th constitutional amendment, four more languages Bodo, Maithali, Dogri, Santhali were included. Now the languages under the 8th schedule is 22 .

          The Eighth Schedule to the Indian Constitution contains a list of scheduled languages, originally 14, but since expanded to 22. At the time the Constitution was enacted, inclusion in this list meant that the language was entitled to representation on the Official Languages Commission, and that the language would be one of the bases that would be drawn upon to enrich. Hindi, the official language of the Union. The list has since, however, acquired further significance. The Government of India is now under an obligation to take measures for the development of these languages, such that "they grow rapidly in richness and become effective means of communicating modern knowledge." In addition, a candidate appearing in an examination conducted for public service at a higher level is entitled to use any of these languages as the medium in which he answers the paper. 

          The following table lists the languages set out in the eighth schedule as of May 2007, together with the regions where they are used: 

S.No	LANGUAGE	Place(s)/Community
1	ASSAMESE/ASOMIYA	Assam
2	BENGALI/BANGLA	Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tripura, West Bengal
3	BODO	Assam
4	DOGRI	Jammu and Kashmir
5	GUJARATI	Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Gujarat
6	HINDI	Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, the national capital territory of Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
7	KANNADA	Karnataka
8	KASHMIRI	Jammu and Kashmir
9	KONKANI	Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra
10	MAITHILI	Bihar
11	MALAYALAM	Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Kerala
12	MANIPURI (also MEITEI or MEITHEI)	Manipur
13	MARATHI	Dadra & Nagar Haveli , Daman and Diu, Goa, Maharashtra
14	NEPALI	Sikkim, West Bengal
15	ORIYA	Orissa
16	PUNJABI	Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab
17	SANSKRIT Listed as a Classical Language of India
18	SANTHALI	Santhal tribals of the Chota Nagpur Plateau (comprising the states of Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa)
19	SINDHI	Sindhi community
20	TAMIL	Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu. Listed as a Classical Language of India.
21	TELUGU	Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
22	URDU	Telangana, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh

          The Indian constitution does not specify the official languages to be used by the states for the conduct of their official functions, and leaves each state free to, through its legislature, adopt Hindi or any language used in its territory as its official language or languages. The language need not be one of those listed in the Eighth Schedule, and several states have adopted official languages which are not so listed. Examples include Kokborok in Tripura, Mizo in Mizoram, Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia in Meghalaya, and French in Puducherry.