(a) the details of languages presently included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution;
(b) whether the Government has taken any steps to salvage the minor languages from possible
extinction;
(c) if so, the details thereof; and
(d) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI SRIPRAKASH JAISWAL)
(a) : The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution consists of 22 languages viz. (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)
Oriya, (16) Punjabi, (17) Sanskrit, (18) Santhali, (19) Sindhi, (20) Tamil, (21) Telugu, (22)
Urdu.
(b) to (d): Sahitya Akademi under the Ministry of Culture has established a language
Development Board to advise the Akademi in implementing literary programmes in the
languages that are not recognized by it. (the Akademi has recognized 24 languages -
22 languages as enumerated in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India,
Rajasthani and English as written by Indians). The programmes include seminars, workshops,
publishing of books in such languages etc. Literary pieces from such languages are
published in the Akademi’s two bi-monthly journals, one in English “Indian Literatureâ€
and the other in Hindi “Samkaleen Bhartiya Sahitya†as well. The Sahitya Akademi has
established a project office to promote oral and tribal Literature. The Akademi has
published 16 books in the unrecognized languages. The Akademi also awards Bhasha
Samman annually to writers/scholars in recognition of their contribution to languages that
are not recognized by the Akademi.
The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore under the Ministry of Human
Resource Development (HRD) is implementing several projects for development of languages
which are not included in the Eighth Schedule.