Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) The government is planning to include Bhojpuri and Rajasthani in the list of scheduled languages and amend the Eighth Schedule of the constitution, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Monday.
Chidambaram made the statement in the Lok Sabha after some MPs raised the demand.

The home minister said there was no criterion in the constitution for inclusion of languages in the Eighth Schedule.

“At present, demands for inclusion of 38 more languages, including Bhojpuri and Rajasthani in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution, are pending,” he said.

He said the government had set up a committee in September 2003 to evolve a set of objective criteria for inclusion of more languages. The committee submitted its report in 2004.

“The report is under consideration in consultation with the concerned departments of the central government. A decision on the pending demands for inclusion of languages in the Eighth Schedule including Bhojpuri and Rajasthani will be taken, inter-alia, in the light of the recommendations of the committee and the government’s decision thereon,” he said.

But he gave “no time frame” to be fixed for consideration of the demands.

At present, 22 languages have been included in the Eighth Schedule. Of these, 14 languages were initially included in the constitution.

Sindhi was included in 1967. Thereafter, three more languages - Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali were included in 1992. Subsequently, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali languages were added 2004.