Lok Sabha now includes Kashmiri, Konkani, Santali among 22 languages

To make Parliament inclusive, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has announced the inclusion of all 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in the proceedings of the Lok Sabha.

• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced on 19 August 2025 during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that simultaneous translation of parliamentary proceedings is now available in all 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
• With the addition of Kashmiri, Konkani and Santali, this list has been completed. Until now, this service covered 18 languages – Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Kannada, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
• Many MPs prefer to use their regional languages during debates, making translation services necessary for smooth communication in the House.

Translation technology

• It was reported that the Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Center at IIT Madras, Pravartak Technologies Foundation, is developing the technology to translate parliamentary debates in real time into 22 Indian languages.

Language in the original Constitution

• When the Constitution was enacted, 14 languages were initially listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Over the years, after amendments, this number has increased to 22. These languages have the right to representation in the Official Language Commission and the government supports their promotion.

Official Language

• The Eighth Schedule (COI) of the Indian Constitution provides the list of official languages of India. In Part XVII of the Indian Constitution, Articles 343 to 351 mention official languages.
• According to Article 343 of the Constitution of India, Hindi is the official language of India and the Devanagari script is the official script of the Union. For the official purposes of the Union, the form of numerals to be used shall be the international form of Indian numerals.

Constitutional amendments related to Official Language

• 21st Amendment Act 1967 – Sindhi language.
• 71st Amendment Act 1992 – Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali.
• 92nd Amendment Act 2003 – Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santali.

Classical Languages:

• In 2004, the Government of India began designating languages as "Classical Language" to recognize and preserve their ancient heritage.
• At present, 11 languages in India have been accorded ‘Classical’ status: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013) and Odia (2014).
• In 2024, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali were also included in this prestigious category.