Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India

What is the Eighth Schedule?

The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India is the constitutional schedule that specifies the languages referred to in Articles 344(1) and 351. The Schedule presently contains 22 languages.

The Eighth Schedule should not be confused with a declaration that every listed language is an official language of the Union. Article 343 separately deals with the official language of the Union. The Eighth Schedule has its own constitutional role, including representation in the Official Language Commission contemplated by Article 344 and relevance to the development of Hindi under Article 351.

Article 344(1): Commission on Official Language

Article 344 concerns the Commission and Committee of Parliament on official language. Clause (1) provides for constitution of a Commission by the President at the expiration of five years from the commencement of the Constitution and thereafter at the expiration of ten years from such commencement.

The Commission consists of a Chairman and other members representing the different languages specified in the Eighth Schedule, as appointed by the President. Article 344 therefore creates a direct constitutional link between the listed languages and the Commission dealing with questions concerning official language.

Article 351: Directive for development of Hindi

Article 351 places a duty on the Union to promote the spread of Hindi and to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all elements of India's composite culture. In doing so, the Constitution refers to assimilation of forms, style and expressions used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India specified in the Eighth Schedule, without interfering with the genius of Hindi.

The provision also refers to drawing vocabulary primarily from Sanskrit and secondarily from other languages where necessary or desirable.

List of 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule

The Eighth Schedule currently contains the following languages:

1. Assamese
2. Bengali
3. Bodo
4. Dogri
5. Gujarati
6. Hindi
7. Kannada
8. Kashmiri
9. Konkani
10. Maithili
11. Malayalam
12. Manipuri
13. Marathi
14. Nepali
15. Odia
16. Punjabi
17. Sanskrit
18. Santhali
19. Sindhi
20. Tamil
21. Telugu
22. Urdu

Important constitutional amendments affecting the Eighth Schedule

Constitutional significance of inclusion in the Eighth Schedule

Inclusion in the Eighth Schedule gives a language express recognition within the constitutional framework created by Articles 344(1) and 351. Members representing the scheduled languages are contemplated in the Commission under Article 344(1), while Article 351 refers to the scheduled languages in connection with the development and enrichment of Hindi.

The Schedule is therefore part of the Constitution's broader framework concerning language, linguistic diversity and the official-language provisions in Part XVII. Questions about the use of a particular language by the Union, a State, a court, or for a particular official purpose must, however, be considered under the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions and not from inclusion in the Eighth Schedule alone.