2-Aug-2021: Steps taken by the government to promote the Languages in Eighth Schedule
The policy of the Government of India is to promote all Indian Languages. Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore works for the promotion of all Indian languages including Scheduled/Non-Scheduled and Classical languages. There are separate organisations for development and promotion of Hindi, Urdu, Sindhi and Sanskrit languages. Sanskrit Language is promoted through three Central Universities viz, Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University, New Delhi and National Sanskrit University, Tirupati. Hindi is promoted by Kendriya Hindi Sansthan(KHS) Agra, Central Hindi Directorate (CHD), New Delhi and Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT), New Delhi.
Sindhi is promoted through National Council for Promotion of Sindhi Language (NCPSL), New Delhi and Urdu is promoted through National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL), New Delhi. In addition to promote all Indian languages, Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore also works for the promotion of four Classical Languages namely Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Odia. Development and promotion of Classical Tamil is done by Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai. CIIL works and collaborates with various stakeholders including Universities, Institutes, State Governments, etc. for development of languages through its various schemes like National Translation Mission, Linguistic Data Consortium of Indian Languages, Bharatavani, etc. for development and promotion of languages.
27-Jul-2021: Inclusion of Khasi Language in 8th Schedule
There have been demands from time to time for inclusion of Khasi in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. Central Government had received a proposal in this regard. As the evolution of dialects and languages is a dynamic process, influenced by socio-cultural, economic and political developments, it is difficult to fix any criteria for languages, whether to distinguish them from dialects, or for their inclusion in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. The earlier attempts, through the Pahwa (1996) and Sitakant Mohapatra (2003) Committees, to evolve such fixed criteria have been inconclusive. Government of India is conscious of the sentiments and requirements for inclusion of other languages in the Eighth Schedule. Such requests have to be considered keeping in mind these sentiments, and the other relevant considerations.
22-Dec-2004: Demand for Bhojpuri Language to be included in the Eighth Schedule
The Government has been receiving demands for inclusion of various languages in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution over the last several years. At present, the Eighth Schedule consists of 22 languages. These are (1) Assamese, (2) Bengali, (3) Gujarati, (4) Hindi, (5) Kannada, (6) Kashmiri, (7) Konkani, (8) Malayalam, (9) Manipuri, (10) Marathi, (11) Nepali, (12) Oriya, (13) Punjabi, (14), Sanskrit, (15) Sindhi, (16) Tamil, (17) Telugu, (18) Urdu (19) Bodo, (20) Santhali, (21) Maithili and (22) Dogri. Of these languages, 14 were initially included in the Constitution. Sindhi language was added in 1967. Thereafter three more languages viz, Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali were included in 1992. Subsequently Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali were added vide 92nd Constitution Amendment Act, 2003 published in the gazette of India on 8.1.2004.
Demands for inclusion of 35 more languages in the Eighth Schedule are pending with the Government. These are Angika, Banjara, Bazika, Bhojpuri, Bhoti, Bhotia, Chhattisgarhi, Dhatki, English, Garhwali (Pahari), Gondi, Ho, Kachachhi, Kamtapuri, Khasi, Kodava (Coorg), Kok Barak, Kumaoni (Pahari), Kurak, Kurmali, Lepcha, Limbu, Mizo (Lushai), Magahi, Mundari, Nagpuri, Nicobarese, Pahari (Himachali), Pali, Rajasthani, Sambalpuri/Kosali, Shaurseni (Prakrit), Siraiki, Tenyidi and Tulu.
Reference to the Eighth Schedule occurs in articles 344 (1) and 351 of the Constitution. Article 344 (1) provides for the constitution of a Commission by the President on expiration of five years from the commencement of the Constitution and thereafter at the expiration of ten years from such commencement, which shall consist of a Chairman and such other members representing the different languages specified in the Eighth Schedule to make recommendations to the President for the progressive use of Hindi for official purposes of the Union. Article 351 of the Constitution provides that it shall be the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India and to secure its enrichment by assimilating without interfering with its genius, the forms, style and expressions used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India specified in the Eighth Schedule, and by drawing, wherever necessary or desirable, for its vocabulary, primarily, on Sanskrit and secondarily on other languages.
In the absence of any objective criteria for inclusion of languages in the Eighth Schedule, a committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Shri Sita Kant Mohapatra to evolve a set of objective criteria for inclusion of more languages in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. The Committee has submitted its report to the Government. The recommendations of the Committee are under consideration of the Government and decision on pending demands for inclusion of languages in the eighth Schedule, including Bhojpuri, will be taken in the light of the recommendation of the committee”.
9-Jul-2020: First five re-printed volumes of Mongolian Kanjur Manuscripts released
The Ministry of Culture has taken up the project of reprinting of 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur under the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM). The first set of five volumes of Mongolian Kanjur published under the NMM was presented to the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind on the occasion of Guru Purnima, also known as Dharma Chakra Day, on 4th July 2020. A set was then handed over to His Excellency Mr. Gonching Ganbold, Ambassador of Mongolia to India by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Culture and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Tourism, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in presence of Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju.
It is expected that all the 108 volumes of the Mongolian Kanjur will be published by March, 2022.
The Prime Minister of India, Sh. Narendra Modi in his address on the occasion of Dhamma Chakra expressed:
“On this day of Guru Poornima, we pay homage to the Lord Buddha. On this occasion, the copies of the Mongolian Kanjur are being presented to the Government of Mongolia. The Mongolian Kanjur is widely respected in Mongolia.”
The National Mission for Manuscripts was launched in February 2003 by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, with the mandate of documenting, conserving and disseminating the knowledge preserved in the manuscripts. One of the objectives of the mission is to publish rare and unpublished manuscripts so that the knowledge enshrined in them is spread to researchers, scholars and general public at large. Under this scheme, reprinting of 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur has been taken up by the Mission. It is expected that all the volumes will be published by March, 2022. This work is being carried out under the supervision of eminent Scholar Prof. Lokesh Chandra.
Mongolian Kanjur, the Buddhist canonical text in 108 volumes is considered to be the most important religious text in Mongolia. In the Mongolian language ‘Kanjur’ means ‘Concise Orders’- the words of Lord Buddha in particular. It is held in high esteem by the Mongolian Buddhists and they worship the Kanjur at temples and recite the lines of Kanjur in daily life as a sacred ritual. The Kanjur are kept almost in every monastery in Mongolia. Mongolian Kanjur has been translated from Tibetan. The language of the Kanjur is Classical Mongolian. The Mongolian Kanjur is a source of providing a cultural identity to Mongolia.
During the socialist period, xylographs were consigned to flames and monasteries were bereft of their sacred scriptures. During 1956-58, Professor Raghu Vira obtained a microfilm copy of the rare Kanjur manuscripts and brought them to India. And, the Mongolian Kanjur in 108 volumes was published in India in 1970s by Prof. Lokesh Chandra, former Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha). Now, the present edition is being published by the National Mission for Manuscripts, Ministry of Culture, Government of India; in which every volume will have a list of contents indicating the original title of the sutra in Mongolian.
Historical interaction between India and Mongolia goes back centuries. Buddhism was carried to Mongolia by Indian cultural and religious ambassadors during the early Christian era. As a result, today, Buddhists form the single largest religious denomination in Mongolia. India established formal diplomatic relations with Mongolia in 1955.Since then, the overwhelming relationship between both the countries has now reached a new height. Now, the publication of Mongolian Kanjur by the Government of India for the Government of Mongolia will act as a symbol of cultural symphony between India and Mongolia and will contribute to furtherance of bilateral relations during the coming years.
22-Feb-2020: Website launched for KiLiKi language
On International Mother Language Day (February 21), an official website of KiLiKi language has been launched.
The new speech was invented for the terrifying warrior tribe called Kalakeya in the two-part Baahubali franchise. It now has evolved into a language with script grammar and more than 3000 words for everyday communication. It is considered as the world’s easiest language. This fictional language was created by popular lyricist and screenwriter Madhan Karky.
International Mother Language Day is observed every year on 21st February since 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh. It was approved at the UNESCO General Conference (1999) and has been observed throughout the world since 2000.
The United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development along with educational institutions and language institutions is celebrating the day as the Matribhasha Diwas in the country.