Country ISO code: IN
Official languages: Hindi and English
Language ISO codes: hi (Hindi), en (English)
Current official currency: Indian Rupee
Current currency ISO code: INR

Official Languages and Language Status in India

Official Languages

• Article 343 of the Indian Constitution declares Hindi, written in the Devanagari script, as the official language of the Union government.

• English is used as an additional official language for government communication, parliamentary proceedings, and judiciary purposes, as provided by the Constitution and the Official Languages Act of 1963.

• India does not have a national language but recognizes multiple official languages, with Hindi and English being the primary languages used by the central government.

Linguistic Recognition and Diversity

• The Constitution recognizes 22 official languages listed in the Eighth Schedule, including Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Assamese, Maithili, Sindhi, Nepali, Konkani, Dogri, Manipuri, Bodo, Santhali, Kashmiri, Sanskrit, and others.

• States and Union Territories have the autonomy to legislate their own regional official languages, reflecting the country’s linguistic diversity.

Use of Hindi and English

• Hindi is the mother tongue of about 41% of the population and is predominant in the so-called "Hindi Belt" region.

• English is widely used in business, education, administration, and official communication, serving as the second official language of the country.

• The continued use of English is due to the British colonial legacy and the need for communication across diverse linguistic groups.

Relevant Legislation

• The Official Languages Act of 1963 ensures the continued use of English for official purposes, even after the initially planned phase-out period.

• The Constitution provides detailed provisions for the use of official languages both at the central government and state/territory levels.

This report summarizes the official language framework of India, highlighting Hindi as the primary official language and English as an additional official language, alongside the legally recognized linguistic diversity across states and territories.