India is among the most linguistically diverse countries, with hundreds of languages spoken across its states and Union Territories. Language is central to India’s culture, administration, and constitutional structure. According to the Constitution, Indian languages primarily belong to four families: Indo-European, Dravidian, Austroasiatic, and Sino-Tibetan. The Eighth Schedule recognises 22 languages. For candidates preparing for Banking, SSC, Railways, UPSC, and State PSC exams, knowledge of Indian languages is a key Static GK topic. Exams often include questions on the official languages of states and UTs, scheduled and classical languages, language demographics, and relevant constitutional articles (Articles 343–351). This article provides the Languages of India 2026 PDF, which includes a state-wise and UT-wise list of official languages, the 22 scheduled languages, classical languages with years of declaration, and language-wise population percentages. The content is presented in a clear, bilingual (English and Hindi), and exam-focused format to support quick revision and last-minute preparation.

List of Languages of India PDF in English Download Link

List of Languages of India PDF in Hindi Download Link

Languages of India - Expected Questions PDF

Candidates can check and download the expected questions from the Languages of India PDF from the link below.

Check the Expected Questions from the Languages of India

National Languages of India List

India is a diverse country with 28 states and 8 union territories, each with unique languages and cultures. As per the constitution, India does not have a national language.

• Instead of that, both Hindi and English are considered the official languages.

• Hindi is the language the Central Government uses to communicate with the states in the Hindi belt.

• English is associated as the second official language, and the other state-wise languages in India to communicate with the non-Hindi states.

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Domestic and International Airports in India

Languages in India: State-wise 

The table is classified into India's main and secondary official state languages.

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Official and Second Official Indian States

Spoken Languages in India UT-wise

Union Territories of India are also like the states of India, with different languages spoken in their location near the states.

• Some UTs have secondary languages based on the migrated people from different locations in India.

• The list of official languages in the Union Territories of India is in table format.

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Difference Between National And Official Languages

The difference between the national and official languages state-wise is provided table.

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Official Languages of India - 22 Scheduled Languages

Article 343(3) states that Parliament may, by law, provide for the use of the English language. Initially, 14 languages were included in the Constitution.

• Then Sindhi, Konkani, Nepali, Manipuri, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali were added after the amendment acts.

• The Sindhi language was added by the 21st Amendment Act of 1967.

• Konkani, Nepali, and Manipuri were included in the 71st Amendment Act of 1992.

• Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali were added by the 92nd Amendment Act of 2003.

• Now, 22 scheduled languages are included in the languages in 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

List Of 22 Scheduled Languages Of India / Official Language Of India

1. Assamese

2. Bengali

3. Gujarati

4. Hindi

5. Kannada

6. Kashmiri

7. Marathi

8. Malayalam

9. Oriya

10. Punjabi

11. Sanskrit

12. Tamil

13. Telugu

14. Urdu

15. Sindhi

16. Konkani

17. Nepali

18. Manipuri

19. Bodo

20. Dogri

21. Maithili

22. Santhali

Languages Spoken In India: Percentage

The languages spoken in India are tabulated with the percentage of total language speakers, respectively, of the languages spoken.

• Also, have an understanding of the 10 most Indian-speaking languages by several speakers.

• From the beginning of the article and the following paragraph, we have discussed the following topics:

• Languages of India with states, List of Languages in India statewise, List of Languages in Indian states, and List of languages spoken in India.

Important Revolutions in India

10 Most Spoken Languages in India by Number of Speakers

List of Dams In India

Spoken Languages of India Pie Chart

The pictorial representation of the languages spoken by percentage in India is shared with detailed splitting based on the number of speakers of that particular language.

Refer to the languages spoken in India pie chart below.

Classical Languages in India

The classical languages of India are selected based on certain criteria.

• Classical languages have independent literary traditions and written literature from the ancient period.

• All the Classical Languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

Classical Languages in India Criteria

The idea of classical language originated in Europe. According to information provided by the Ministry of Culture in the Rajya Sabha in February 2014, the guidelines for declaring a language as ‘Classical’ are listed below. The government has provided certain guidelines to declare a certain language as classical. Here is the eligibility of language as a classical language.

• The extraordinary antiquity of its early transcripts or verified history from 1500 to 2000 years.

• A body of ancient literature or texts is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.

• The literary tradition should be original, unique, and not borrowed from another language community.

• Classical language and literature are different from modern; there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or sprouts.

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First Language To be Declared As Classical

Satisfying the norms given above, the first language to be declared as the classical language, with the year of declaration, is given.

• The first language to be accorded that status is Tamil. 

• Tamil was declared the classical language back in 2004. 

6 Classical Languages in India List

The 6 classical languages in India are tabulated below, along with the year of the declaration of that language as classical. The languages of India, including Hindi, are given below in this article.

Languages of India 2011 Census

The languages in India, based on the 2011 census, recognise 1369 rationalised mother tongues and 1474 names that were treated as ‘unclassified’ and relegated to the ‘other’ mother tongue category.

• These rationalised mother tongues were selected after a detailed language review, editing, and rationalisation of 19,569 raw linguistic affiliations.

• 10,000 or more speakers spoke the rationalised mother tongues.

• They are further grouped into a total of 121 languages.

• Out of these 121 languages, 22 languages are already part of the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India, and the other 99 are termed as "Total of other languages".

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Oldest Languages of India

The oldest languages of India are listed below for your reference. Based on their existence, the old languages in India are given. The languages of ancient India are an essential fact that everyone should be aware of.

11 Oldest Languages in India

The 11 oldest languages of India, based on their existence, are provided below.

• Tamil

• Sanskrit

• Kannada

• Telugu

• Malayalam

• Odia

• Marathi

• Bengali

• Gujarati

• Hindi

• Urdu

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Languages printed on Indian Currency notes 

Languages in Indian Currency: Contemporary currency notes by the Reserve Bank of India have 15 languages printed on them. This is in addition to the Hindi displayed in the centre and English on the reverse side of the note. The 15 languages printed on the note are:

• Assamese

• Bengali

• Gujarati

• Kannada

• Kashmiri

• Konkani

• Malayalam

• Marathi

• Nepali

• Oriya

• Punjabi

• Sanskrit

• Tamil

• Telugu

• Urdu

List of Tiger Reserves in India

Languages in India Quiz

The Languages in India quiz is given below for your practice. Answer all the questions with the given options.

Q. Which of the following is the official language of Arunachal Pradesh?

1. Hindi

2. Konkani

3. English

4. Manipuri

Correct Answer: (3)

Q. Which of the following is the official language of Jharkhand?

1. Hindi

2. English

3. Assamese

4. Marathi

Correct Answer: (1)

Q. Which of the following is the official language of Nagaland?

1. Bengali

2. Mizo

3. Nepali

4. English

Correct Answer: (4)

Q. Which of the following is the official language of Kerala?

1. Malayalam

2. Tamil

3. Kannada

4. Telugu

Correct Answer: (1)

Q. Which of the following is the official language of Himachal Pradesh?

1. Marathi

2. Hindi

3. Mizo

4. Angika

Correct Answer: (2)

FAQs – Languages of India

Q: Does India have a national language?

No. India does not have a national language. Hindi and English are the official languages of the Union Government.

Q: How many scheduled languages are there in India?

There are 22 scheduled languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

Q: Which are the classical languages of India?

India has six classical languages: Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia.

Q: Which language is spoken by the largest population in India?

Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India, spoken by about 43.6% of the population.

Q: Which constitutional articles deal with languages in India?

Articles 343 to 351 of the Indian Constitution deal with official and regional languages.

Q: What is the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

The Eighth Schedule lists the 22 officially recognised scheduled languages of India.

Q: Which was the first language declared as a classical language in India?

Tamil was the first language declared as a classical language in 2004.

Q: How many language families are there in India?

Indian languages mainly belong to four families: Indo-European, Dravidian, Austroasiatic, and Sino-Tibetan.

Q: Are English and Hindi the official languages of all states?

No. English and Hindi are Union official languages, while states have their own official languages.

Q: When was the last language census conducted in India?

The last official language census in India was conducted in 2011.