What is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people of India?

Answer 1

HINDI

More than a third of the people of India speak Hindi. English is also widely spoken.

Answer 2

National Language - Hindi

Answer 3

Languages. The people of India speak 16 major languages and more than 1,000 minor languages and dialects. The major languages of India belong to two language families--Indo-European and Dravidian. Indo-European languages are spoken by about 73 percent of the people, mainly in the northern and central regions. They include Hindi--India's most widely spoken language--and its closely related form Urdu. They also include Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, and Rajasthani. These languages come from Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language with many words similar to words in European tongues. Dravidian languages are spoken by about 24 percent of the population, mainly in the southern part of the country. They include Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu. People in the northern Himalayan region and near the Burmese border speak Sino-Tibetan languages. Some ethnic groups in eastern India speak Mon-Khmer languages.

Hindi is the principal official language of India. Sanskrit and 13 regional languages are also official languages. English is considered an "associate" national language. Hindi is the native language of about a third of India's people, but many speak Hindi as a second language. Only about 2 percent speak English, but it serves as a common language among most educated Indians.

The Indian government has at times promoted Hindi as a national language. But many Indians who cannot speak Hindi did not want it to become their nation's only official language. They claimed the best jobs in government and industry would go to those who speak Hindi. Also, many Indians take pride in their regional languages, many of which have old and honored literatures. They fear these writings would someday be lost if everyone spoke Hindi. In response to these concerns, the Indian government now recognizes 13 regional languages as official languages. Children in elementary and high schools study in their regional languages and learn Hindi as a second language. In most colleges and universities, classes are taught in regional languages, but English is widely used.

Generally, Indians who speak the same language live in the same state. At least one major language is spoken in each state. Some states have been created from parts of others to unite members of a language group. In 1956, the government reorganized the states for this reason, reducing their number from 27 to 14. But the people of the new state of Bombay still included two large language groups--people who spoke Gujarati and those who spoke Marathi. Each group was dissatisfied and wanted its own state. So the government in 1960 divided Bombay into two new states, Gujarat and Maharashtra. In 1966, two states were formed from Punjab because of language differences. The states are Punjab, where Punjabi is spoken, and Haryana, where Hindi is spoken. Several minority groups in northeastern India have also been given their own states.

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Answer 4

India has a diverse list of spoken languages among different groups of people. At least 800 different languages and around 2000 dialects have been identified. The Constitution of India has stipulated the usage of Hindi and English to be the two languages of communication for the federal Central Government. However, the state governments use their own language along with English for communication with the Central government.

For example, the central government sends its information in Hindi and English to the state of Karnataka and this state communicates back in Kannada and English. Similarly, information from the center to Tamil Nadu is in English and Hindi and this state communicates back in Tamil and English.

India has a list of 22 official languages (including Hindi and English). These languages are entitled to representation on the Official Language Commission, and a candidate in an examination conducted for national government service may opt to take the exam in any of these languages. But in most of the states Hindi is popular for uneducated labor as this still is a source or means of communication in all of India.

Neither the constitution nor the laws of India accord the status of "National Language" to any language in India[1]. Indian law states that no language will be made the National Language unless and until all the constituent states of the Union of India accept it. Out of the 28 states and 7 union territories, only 10 states and 3 union territories have Hindi as the principal official language.

Article 343 of the India Constitution states that the official language of the Union (India) shall be Hindi in Devanagari script. As drafted in the constitution in 1950, English ceased to exist as an official language (on par with Hindi) in 1965, after which it was intended to continue as an "associate additional official language" until such time that a duly appointed committee can decide on a full-scale transition to Hindi, based on a periodic review.

However, due to protests from South Indian states where there is low Hindi penetration, the "twin language" system is still in vogue. Due to rapid industrialization, and a bustling multinational influence in the economy, English continues to be a popular and influential means of communication in the government and day-to-day business, and moves to replace it have effectively been shelved.

[edit] Official languages - Central Government
Two languages are the languages used by the central administration:

Hindi is the principal official language used by the Central Government when communicating with the states having Hindi as their official language. It is also the official language of Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
English is the associate official language and the language to be used while communicating with the states not having Hindi as the official language.

[edit] Official languages - State Governments

[edit] States
No. State Official Language
1. Andhra Pradesh Telugu, Urdu
2. Arunachal Pradesh English, Hindi
3. Assam Asomiya/Assamese, Bodo, Bengali, Karbi
4. Bihar Hindi, Urdu, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili
5. Chhattisgarh Hindi, Chhattisgarhi
6. Goa Konkani, Marathi, Portuguese, English
7. Gujarat Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu
8. Haryana Hindi, Punjabi
9. Himachal Pradesh Hindi, Pahari
10. Jammu and Kashmir Dogri, Kashmiri, Urdu
11. Jharkhand Hindi
12. Karnataka Kannada
13. Kerala Malayalam
14. Madhya Pradesh Hindi
15. Maharashtra Marathi, Konkani
16. Manipur Meitei
17. Meghalaya Khasi, Garo, English
18. Mizoram Mizo, English
19. Nagaland English
20. Orissa Oriya
21. Punjab Punjabi
22. Rajasthan Hindi, Rajasthani
23. Sikkim Nepali
24. Tamil Nadu Tamil, English, French
25. Tripura Bengali, Kokborok
26. Uttarakhand Hindi
27. Uttar Pradesh Hindi, Urdu
28. West Bengal Bengali
29. Delhi Hindi, English, Urdu, Punjabi


[edit] Union Territories
No. Union Territory Official Language
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands Nicobarese, Bengali, English, Hindi, Malayalam, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu
2. Chandigarh Punjabi, Hindi
3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli Gujarati
4. Daman and Diu Gujarati, English
5. Lakshadweep Malayalam
6. Pondicherry Tamil, French


[edit] Official languages of India
Apart from Hindi and English, a total of 21 other languages are recognized as official languages by the Constitution of India:

No. Official Language Place(s)/Community
1. Assamese/Asomiya Asom/Assam
2. Bengali Tripura, West Bengal
3. Bodo Asom/Assam
4. Dogri Jammu and Kashmir
5. Gujarati Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Gujarat
6. Kannada Karnataka
7. Kashmiri Jammu and Kashmir
8. Konkani Goa
9. Maithili Bihar
10. Malayalam Kerala, Lakshadweep
11. Manipuri (also Meitei or Meithei) Manipur
12. Marathi Maharashtra
13. Nepali Sikkim
14. Oriya Orissa
15. Punjabi Punjab, Chandigarh, second official language of Delhi, Haryana
16. Sanskrit classical language of learning
17. Santhali Santhal tribals of the Chota Nagpur Plateau (comprising the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Chattisgarh)
18. Sindhi Sindhi community
19. Tamil Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
20. Telugu Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
21. Urdu Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh