| National Language
Official Language : Standard Hindi written in the Devanāgarī script
(the Indian Constitution recognises English as a subsidiary official
language)
Hindi : All the states of India. (All the state capitals and large
number of distrits)
English : All the states of India. (At least state capitals)
Assamese — Official language of Assam (13 million as per census
2001)
Bengali — Official language of Tripura and West Bengal (83 million
as per census 2001)
Bodo — Official language of Assam (1.4 million as per census 2001)
Dogri — Official language of Jammu and Kashmir (2.3 million as per
census 2001)
Gujarati — Official language of Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu
and Gujarat (46 million as per census 2001)
Hindi — Official language of Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar
Islands, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and
Uttaranchal (258 to 424 million as per census 2001)
Kannada — Official language of Karnataka (38 million as per census
2001)
Kashmiri — Official language of Jammu and Kashmir (5.5 million as
per census 2001)
Konkani — Official language of Goa and Mangalore (2.5 million as
per census 2001)
Malayalam — Official language of Kerala and Lakshadweep (33 million
as per census 2001)
Manipuri or Meithei — Official language of Manipur (1.5 million
as per census 2001)
Marathi — Official language of Maharashtra (72 million as per census
2001)
Nepali — Official language of Sikkim (2.9 million as per census
2001)
Oriya — Official language of Orissa (33 million as per census 2001)
Punjabi — Official language of Punjab & Chandigarh, second official
language of Delhi and Haryana (29 million as per census 2001)
Sanskrit — Special status in Article 351 of the Constitution of
India as the primary source language for the development of the
official standard of Hindi (0.01 million as per census 2001)
Santali - Language of the Santhal tribals of the Chota Nagpur Plateau
(comprising the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa and Chattisgarh)
(6.5 million as per census 2001)
Sindhi - Language of the Sindhi community (2.5 million as per census
2001)
Tamil — Official language of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry (61 million
as per census 2001)
Telugu — Official language of Andhra Pradesh (74 million as per
census 2001)
Urdu — Official language of Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi
and Uttar Pradesh (52 million as per census 2001)
Other Important State languages
These languages are state official languages but are not yet recognized
as national languages:
Kokborok - Official language of Tripura
Mizo - Official language of Mizoram
Khasi - Official language of Meghalaya
Garo - Official language of Meghalaya
Other popular languages of India
These languages have over 5 million speakers but no official status
Bihari languages
Angika — language of Bihar, Spoken largely in the Northern and Southern
part of Bihar, Major part of Jharkhand and Maldah district of West
Bengal
Bhojpuri — language of Bihar
Magadhi — language of southern Bihar
Rajasthani languages
Marwari — language of Marwar. The region including Jodhpur,Nagour
and Bikaner.
Mewari — language of Mewar. The region including Udaipur, Chittor
and Kota-Bundi.
Shekhavati — language of Shekhavati. The region including Sikar,
Churu, Jhunjhunu.
Other languages
Bhili (Bhil tribals)
Gondi (Gond tribals)
Kodava, spoken in the Kodagu district of Karnataka
Kutchi — language of Kutch, a region in Gujarat
Tulu — spoken by Tulu people of Karnataka and Kerala
Sankethi — spoken by Sankethi people in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and
Kerala
The Constitution of India lists 18 regional languages.
Minority languages of India
Mahl — language of Minicoy, spoken in the island of Minicoy.
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