Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution

Context: A private bill has been introduced in the Lok Sabha to include Bhojpuri in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

Overview:

• Part XVII of the Indian Constitution (Articles 343 to 351) addresses the Eighth Schedule.
• The Eighth Schedule initially listed 14 languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
• Over time, additional languages were incorporated:
  • Sindhi was added by the 21st Amendment Act of 1967.
  • Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali were included by the 71st Amendment Act of 1992.
  • Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santali were added by the 92nd Amendment Act of 2003.

Official Language Commission:

• Established in 1955 under Article 344 of the Indian Constitution, which mandates its creation by the President.
• The commission reviews the progress of language use, makes recommendations for improvement, reports to the President, and advises on language policy.

Bhojpuri:

• Historical Background: Bhojpuri is an ancient language derived from Sanskrit.
• Geographical Distribution: It is the mother tongue of many people in Uttar Pradesh, Western Bihar, Jharkhand, and parts of Madhya Pradesh.
• Literary Figures: Notable Bhojpuri writers include Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan, Viveki Rai, and Bhikhari Thakur.
• Influence: Bhojpuri literature has significantly influenced prominent writers like Bhartendu Harishchandra, Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, and Munshi Premchand.