relevance of hindi as the national language essay upsc

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UPSC 2021 Syllabus in Hindi: Syllabus for Hindi Compulsory Paper and Optional

UPSC believes in breaking the linguistic barriers and at the same time celebrates India’s inherent diversity. Candidates can choose to give their exams in any of the Indian languages that are part of the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India apart from English. Many candidates choose to give their exams in Hindi. With the net year approaching aspirants have started to prepare for UPSC 2021. The UPSC Prelims Syllabus and UPSC Mains Syllabus 2021 is out now.

UPSC IAS Syllabus for 2021

The syllabus whether it be in whatever language always remains the same. The UPSC question paper provides the questions in both English and Hindi and the students can use whatever medium they wish to utilize. The only difference would be in the syllabus of the compulsory paper and the optional paper if the candidate chooses Hindi Literature as their optional subject.

Hindi Language Paper Syllabus

Nibandh: Hindi Essay: 2 essays (no choice in the topics) each for 50 marks totalling 100 marks.
Gadyansh: Reading comprehension: 12 passages each for 5 marks totalling 60 marks.
Sankshepan: Précis writing: Here you have to condense a piece of prose given, for 60 marks.
Anuvad: Translation: From English to Hindi (20 marks) and Hindi to English (20 marks) totalling 40 marks.
10 marks questions: Muhavare; Shudhi; Paryayavachi; Yugm (totalling 40 marks)

Hindi Literature UPSC Optional Syllabus Paper 1

Section-A: History of Hindi Language and Nagari Lipi.

I. Grammatical and applied forms of Apbhransh, Awahatta & Arambhik Hindi.
II. Development of Braj and Awadhi as literary language during the medieval period.
III. Early form of Khari-boli in Siddha- Nath Sahitya, Khusero, Sant Sahitaya, Rahim, etc. and Dakhni Hindi.
IV. Development of Khari-boli and Nagari Lipi during the 19th Century.
V. Standardisation of Hindi Bhasha & Nagari Lipi.
VI. Development of Hindi as a national Language during the freedom movement.
VII. The development of Hindi as a National Language of Union of India.
VIII. Scientific & Technical development of Hindi Language.
IX. Prominent dialects of Hindi and their interrelationship.
X. Salient features of Nagari Lipi and the efforts for its reform & Standard form of Hindi.
XI. Grammatical structure of Standard Hindi.

Also Read: All about Writing the UPSC Civil Service Exam in Hindi

Paper 1 Section-B

History of Hindi Literature.

I. The relevance and importance of Hindi literature and tradition of writing History of Hindi Literature.
II. Literary trends of the following four periods of the history of Hindi Literature.
Adikal-Sidh, Nath and Raso Sahitya. Prominent poets-Chandvardai, Khusaro, Hemchandra, Vidyapati.
Bhaktikal-Sant Kavyadhara, Sufi Kavyadhara, Krishna Bhaktidhara and Ram Bhaktidhara. Prominent Poets-Kabir, Jayasi, Sur & Tulsi.
Ritikal-Ritikavya, Ritibaddhakavya & Riti Mukta Kavya. Prominent Poets-Keshav, Bihari, Padmakar and Ghananand.
Adhunik Kal
Renaissance, the development of Prose, Bharatendu Mandal.
Prominent Writers: Bharatendu, Bal Krishna Bhatt & Pratap Narain Mishra.
Prominent trends of modern Hindi Poetry: Chhayavad, Pragativad, Proyogvad, Nai Kavita, Navgeet and Contemporary poetry, and Janvadi Kavita.

Prominent Poets: Maithili Sharan Gupta, Prasad, Nirala, Mahadevi, Dinkar, Agyeya, Muktibodh, Nagarjun.

III. Katha Sahitya

Upanyas & Realism
The origin and development of Hindi Novels.
Prominent Novelists: Premchand, Jainendra, Yashpal, Renu, and Bhism Sahani.
The origin and development of Hindi short story.
Prominent short Story Writers: Premchand, Prasad, Agyeya, Mohan Rakesh & Krishna Shabti.
IV. Drama & Theatre
The origin & Development of Hindi Drama.
Prominent Dramatists: Bharatendu, Prasad, Jagdish Chandra Mathur, Ram Kumar Verma, Mohan Rakesh.
The development of the Hindi Theatre.

V. Criticism

The origin and development of Hindi criticism: Saiddhantik, Vyavharik, Pragativadi, Manovishleshanvadi & Nai Alochana.
Prominent critics: Ramchandra Shukla, Hajari Prasad Dwivedi, Ram Vilas Sharma & Nagendra.
VI. The other forms of Hindi prose-Lalit Nibandh, Rekhachitra, Sansmaran, Yatra-vrittant.

Hindi Literature UPSC Optional Syllabus Paper 2

Kabir: Kabir Granthawali, Ed, Shyam Sundar Das (First hundred Sakhis.)

Surdas: Bhramar Gitsar, Ed. Ramchandra Shukla (First hundred Padas)
Tulsidas: Ramchrit Manas (Sundar Kand) Kavitawali (Uttar Kand).
Jayasi: Padmawat Ed. Shyam Sundar Das (Sinhal Dwip Khand & Nagmativiyog Khand)
Bihari: Bihari Ratnakar Ed. Jagannath Prasad Ratnakar (First 100 Dohas)
Maithili: Bharat Bharati Sharan Gupta
Prasad: Kamayani (Chinta and Sharddha Sarg)
Nirala: Rag-Virag , Ed. Ram Vilas Sharma (Ram Ki Shakti Puja & Kukurmutta).
Dinkar: Kurushetra
Agyeya: Angan Ke Par Dwar (Asadhya Vina)
Muktiboth: Brahma Rakshas
Nagarjun: Badal Ko Ghirte Dekha Hai, Akal Ke Bad, Harijan Gatha.

Also Read: How to Prepare for Hindi Mains Exam?

Paper 2 Section-B

Bharatendu: Bharat Durdasha
Mohan Rakesh: Ashad Ka Ek Din
Ramchandra Shukla: Chintamani (Part I) (Kavita Kya Hai] Shraddha Aur Bhakti)
Dr. Satyendra: Nibandh Nilaya -Bal Krishna Bhatt, Premchand, Gulab Rai, Hajari Prasad Dwivedi, Ram Vilas Sharma, Agyeya, Kuber Nath Rai.
Premchand: Godan , Premchand ki Sarvashreshtha Kahaniyan , Ed. Amrit Rai/Manjusha – Prem Chand ki Sarvashreshtha Kahaniyan , Ed. Amrit Rai.
Prasad: Skandgupta
Yashpal: Divya
Phaniswar Nath Renu: Maila Anchal
Mannu Bhandari: Mahabhoj
Rajendra Yadav: Ek Dunia Samanantar (All Stories)

Candidates should choose the language that they are most comfortable in as it would help them express and articulate themselves better and work in their favour. Hopefully, this article will give you a clear idea about the Hindi syllabus and make you ready for the upcoming exam. Keep an eye on this page for more informative posts and you can also share your thought with us by commenting in the below box.

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[Answered] “Idea of treating Hindi as the national language runs contrary to the spirit of the Constitution and our country’s linguistic diversity”. Comment.

relevance of hindi as the national language essay upsc

Idea of Hindi being treated as India’s National Language has been debated on since the time the Constitution was being written. It was recently resurrected by the Draft National Education Policy which seems to be giving Hindi more importance than other Indian languages. The dangers of imposing a language are manifold.

How Imposing Hindi as national language on others is against constitutional spirit?

It can affect the learning ability of non-native speakers thereby affecting their self-confidence.
It can also endanger other languages and dialects and reduce diversity. National integration cannot come at the cost of people’s linguistic identities.
It is against spirit of Constitution, which made Hindi as official language so that it would only serve as a linking language and was not be imposed on non-Hindi speaking states.
It would lead to Hindi chauvinism and is against linguistic diversity of the nation.
Language is at the core of an individual’s identity. It is in a language that an individual conceptualises and communicates his thoughts which enables him to actively participate in society. Idea of national language will hamper such participation.
Language is the most important tool of participation in the polity of the state and not being able to speak in the dominant language (or languages) of a state can have a serious impact on an individual’s employment, educational and recreational opportunities. This leads to discrimination and injustice.
Imposing Hindi as national language is against Eighth schedule which comprises of a list of official languages and the government is under obligation to ensure their development.
Such policies threaten the diversity and federalism of India. The states’ fear of the central government’s ideology of monopolising faith, education, and language will adversely affect the Indian political system, which is based on pluralism and accommodation.

National integration in a multilingual country does not require the imposition of one official language on the country, especially when the language selected for the purpose is one of its many regional languages even if it happens to be that of the largest linguistic group in the country. The focus should not be on establishing one national language, but should be shifted to strengthening the official languages whose importance cannot be disregarded.

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Courses test series, our selections, an analysis of the debate on hindi as the link language.

Compiled by Lukmaan IAS
May 14, 2022
Constitutional Provisions Regarding Official Language , Editorial Analysis , Editorial Analysis Today , English and Hindi as Official Language , Hindi as the link Language , Hindu Analysis For UPSC , Hindu Editorial , Hindu Editorial Analysis , Home Minister's Speech , Lukmaan IAS Editorial Analysis , Role of the Central Govt. , Today's Editorial , UPSC 2022 Mains , UPSC CSE Mains , UPSC Editorial Analysis

THE CONTEXT : On April 7, 2022, in the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee, the Union home minister said that Hindi, not a local language, should be acknowledged as an alternative to English. He added that people of different states should connect with each other in Hindi, not English. This has generated a debate that the Union government is trying to impose Hindi on the speakers of other languages. This article examines this issue in detail.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE HOME MINISTER’S SPEECH

Union Home Minister remarked that people from different states should start talking to each other in Hindi while presiding over a meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee. In various parts of the country, Hindi should be learned as a second language after a mother tongue. He declared Hindi to be the “language of India” and claimed it should be considered a viable alternative to English. Now the time has come to make the Official Language an important part of the Unity of the country. He also stated that Hindi would have become a compulsory language in the North-East.

WHAT ARE THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS REGARDING OFFICIAL LANGUAGES?

PART 17 OF THE CONSTITUTION:

Part 17 of the Indian Constitution (Articles 343 to 351) has detailed provisions concerning the official language of the Republic of India.
Articles 343 and 344 of the Indian Constitution include the key provisions governing the Union’s official language.
The Constitution does not provide for a national language.

ENGLISH AND HINDI AS THE CO-OFFICIAL LANGUAGES:

The Official Language of the Union is Hindi, written in Devanagari script.
The original Constitution stipulated that English would be used for all official purposes of the Union for a period of 15 years from the date of the Constitution’s adoption.
The Constitution stated that the President might, by order, permit the use of Hindi in addition to English and the Devanagari form of numerals in addition to the international form of Indian numerals for any of the Union’s official purposes for the specified term.

ROLE OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT:

The Constitution also states that the Parliament may, by law, provide for the continued use of English for any specific purpose beyond 15 years.
The Constitution has given the central government complete control over the formulation and implementation of language policy.
It is also the role of the center to promote and develop the Union’s official language (Hindi) (Art. 351).

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE STATES:

Though Hindi is the official language of India, the states may by law adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the state or Hindi as the language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of that state.

LANGUAGE OF COMMUNICATION:

According to Article 346, the official language of communication between one state and another, or between states and the Union, is English.
If two or more states agree that Hindi can be the official language of communication between those states, that language can be used for such communication.

COMMISSION CONSTITUTED UNDER ART 344:

The President at the expiration of five years from the commencement of the Constitution and thereafter at the expiration of ten years by order constitute a Commission.
It will consist of a Chairman and other members representing the different languages specified in the Eighth Schedule.
It shall be the duty of the Commission to make recommendations to the President as to:
the progressive use of the Hindi language for the official purposes of the Union.
restrictions on the use of the English language for all or any of the official purposes of the Union etc,.

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE COMMITTEE OF THE PARLIAMENT

As per Article 344, a Committee consisting of thirty members, of whom twenty shall be members of the House of the People and ten shall be members of the Council of States, will be constituted. The members will be elected respectively by the members of the House of the People and the members of the Council of States in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. It shall be the duty of the Committee to examine the recommendations of the Commission constituted under Art 344 and to report to the President their opinion thereon.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE ISSUE OF LANGUAGE SINCE INDEPENDENCE

PRE-INDEPENDENCE:

Before India became independent, the sole language in use for all official and administrative purposes was English.
In 1947, when India gained Independence, the issue of language was one of the most hotly contested in the Constituent Assembly debates.
While many of our founding fathers had called for Sanskrit and Hindi to be used as our republic’s lingua franca, there was major dissent from the people who did not speak Hindi as a native tongue.

STATE RE-ORGANISATION:

The 1948 Linguistic Provinces Commission, also known as the Dhar Commission, observed that the formation of provinces exclusively on or even mainly on linguistic considerations is not in the larger interests of the Indian nation.
The Fazal Ali Commission, 1953 recommended restructuring the states based on language but not before giving a sound rationale for the same.

LANGUAGE CONFLICT:

Vehement opposition from the legislators and agitation from the student intelligentsia, especially in Tamil Nadu, forced the then PM Lal Bahadur Shastri to make a national radio broadcast assuring the Tamils that English would be continued to be used in interstate and Centre-state communications and in Civil Services Examinations.
In 1967, the Indira Gandhi government amended the 1963 Official Languages Act and allowed for the continuation of English as the lingua franca of the Indian Union.

NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY:

The NEP draft earlier made studying Hindi mandatory till Class 8 in non-Hindi-speaking states, and due to opposition, it was dropped.

PRESENT ISSUE:

Hindi as the link language and the opposition to it.

ENGLISH AS THE PREFERED MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION

The 2011 language census uncovered that only 12 out of India’s then 35 states chose Hindi as their first language. Even though Hindi is spoken by about 43% of India’s population, only 26% or just over 1/4th of Indians speak the language as their mother tongue. The 2020 NEP, which the Union Cabinet approved, called for the medium of instruction to be the mother tongue of a student ‘whenever possible’ till the VIIIth standard. According to a Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) report of 2019-20, despite Hindi remaining the biggest medium of instruction in India, accounting for around 42% of the share, the preference for the English medium is on the rise. Studies indicate J&K has nearly 100% enrolment in English, trailed by Telangana, which has a nearly 75% enrolment. Another 2020 NSO study found that over 50% of pre-primary schoolchildren who spoke one of 13 regional languages at home, including Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Punjabi, were enrolled in English medium schools.

WHAT ARE THE ARGUMENTS FOR HINDI AS A LINK LANGUAGE?

SPOKEN BY A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE: A large number of people speak Hindi either as their mother tongue or otherwise, and hence promoting Hindi will be more feasible than other languages.

IDENTITY OF THE NATION: The entire country must have one language that becomes the identity of the nation in the world. If there is any language that can tie the whole country in one thread, it is the most spoken language of, Hindi.

ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS: Having a language that is spoken and understood by all the people of a country is beneficial from the economic standpoint as it will provide for effective communication, open up new markets and improve trust between the seller and buyer.

SOCIAL MILIEU: Lack of understanding of each other’s language is held to create distance between individuals and communities, which impacts social cohesion and prevent generating social capital.

CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE: A holistic reading of Part 17 of the Constitution, the Official Language Act 1963, various policies and schemes of the government make it clear that there is a strong mandate for promoting Hindi. The idea of a link language is one approach in this direction.

GANDHIAN VIEW: Mahatma Gandhi, during the freedom struggle, had described Hindi as the national language and called for its adoption and many members of the Constituent Assembly echoed such sentiments.

WHAT ARE THE CRITICISMS OF SUCH A PROPOSAL?

CENSUS DATA EVIDENCE:

Residents of only 12 of the 35 States and Union Territories (UTs) reported Hindi as their first choice of language for communication (Census 2011).
But there is a caveat. “Hindi” is an umbrella term encompassing 56 languages (mother tongues), including Bhojpuri, Rajasthani, Hindi, and Chhattisgarhi.
While 43% of Indians speak “Hindi”, only 26% speak Hindi specifically as their mother tongue.

UTILITARIAN ARGUMENT:

The claim that Hindi is a better language than English because the majority speaks it cannot be sustained since it is a majoritarian argument.
Instead, we must address a pragmatic question: which language, Hindi, or English, would be more advantageous to citizens as they pursue better lives?
To put it another way, would learning English assist native Hindi speakers, or should Hindi be pushed on the non-Hindi speaking populace for their “benefit”?

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX COMPARISON:

A comparison of the Human Development Index (HDI) of States and UTs reveals that regions with a higher share of English speakers have higher HDI scores (Chart 1), while states with a higher share of Hindi speakers have lower HDI scores (Chart 2).
This indicates that greater quality of life correlates with a higher proportion of English speakers.

MIGRATION AND LANGUAGE:

More people from the Hindi-speaking States have been migrating to the non-Hindi-speaking regions in search of better livelihoods.
An analysis of the 2011 Census data also shows that net in-migration for the Hindi States, where Hindi is spoken by at least 50% of the population, is negative.
This indicates that the migrant outflow was higher than the inflow in these States. In non-Hindi States, the net in-migration was positive. This pattern was observed for all types of migrations, including those done for work and education.

DEPRIVATION OF OPPORTUNITIES:

Native Hindi speakers will have a clear advantage over others when it comes to employment opportunities.
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar will beat Telugus and Kannadigas, and Malayalees with ease in the job market, where language abilities are a primary factor.

POLITICAL AND CIVIL SOCIETY OPPOSITION:

The north-eastern states, the southern states, especially Tamil Nadu, are regions where Hindi is very negligibly used.
Different political parties and civil society organisations have raised concerns against the proposal to make Hindi the communication language.
Making one language, a communication language is considered a step towards centralisation and degrading other dialects.

ENGLISH IN A HINDI STATE: THE UTTAR PRADESH EXAMPLE

In what looks like a revolution, the UP Government recently made 15,000 primary and upper primary schools switch to English as the medium of instruction. Reports said that the objective of the policy switch was to develop the English-speaking skills of children studying in government schools so that they could compete effectively with students coming from convent-run schools.

THE WAY FORWARD

Although the promotion of Hindi needs to be undertaken through multiple media, the perception of its imposition needs to be avoided.
The Unity of our country is built and strengthened on the edifice of diversity and not on homogeneity and sameness. Hence, while there can be efforts to develop a language that will aid in effective communication and trust-building among communities, other languages should also be given their due status.
As English has significant utilitarian value, especially in a globalised economy and given India’s inherent strength of the service sector, English language teaching and learning also should be given impetus.
Higher political functionaries of the government need to focus on building consensus on sensitive issues.
Making Hindi flexible by accepting words from other local languages would help promote both Hindi and local Indian languages.

THE CONCLUSION: The idea of a national language finds its expression in multiple areas, including the debate over “link language”. While it is desirable to have a language spoken and understood by all, it is not necessary for a nation’s integrity and progress, as seen in Canada, the USA, etc. In fact, politics need to focus on the “bread and butter issues” in India and not rake up issues that have no immediate relevance. Nevertheless, the debate over the link language needs to be seen in the larger context of centralisation tendencies the polity is experiencing which is not a healthy proposition for good governance.

By explaining the Constitutional provisions related to Official Languages, comment upon the debate over Hindi as the link language.
The idea of a national language finds its expression in multiple areas, including the debate over link language. While it is desirable to have a language spoken and understood by all, it is not necessary for a nation’s integrity and progress. Critically Analyse.

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India National Language: Understanding the Importance of Hindi

India, with its diverse cultural heritage, is a land of many languages but Hindi is the de facto India National Language. The country recognizes 22 official languages, out of which Hindi is the most widely spoken and understood language. In this article, we will explore the history, importance, and controversies surrounding Hindi as India’s national language.

Table of Contents

India National Language: Origins

Hindi is a language with roots dating back to ancient India. The earliest known form of Hindi was Prakrit, a language spoken in the 3rd century BCE. Prakrit eventually evolved into Apabhramsha, which further gave rise to several modern languages, including Hindi. Hindi, as we know it today, is a standardized version of the Khari Boli dialect, spoken in and around Delhi.

Hindi as India National Language

Hindi became the official language of India in 1965, replacing English. This move was made to promote Hindi as a unifying language that would bridge the linguistic divide in the country. However, this decision was met with resistance from some states where Hindi was not widely spoken. To address this concern, the Indian government recognized all 22 official languages, including Hindi, as equal in status.

Today, Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India, with over 40% of the population speaking it as their first language. Hindi is also the language used in the Indian parliament and judiciary, making it an important language for governance.

The Importance of Hindi

Hindi is not just a language but a means of cultural expression. It is the language of Bollywood, India’s thriving film industry, which has made Hindi films popular around the world. Hindi has also contributed to the enrichment of the Indian culture through its literature, poetry, and music.

Hindi is also a language of education and employment. Many schools and universities across India use Hindi as a medium of instruction. Knowledge of Hindi is often a requirement for employment in the Indian government and public sector.

Controversies Surrounding Hindi

Despite its widespread use, Hindi has been a subject of controversy in India. Some states have expressed concern that the promotion of Hindi as a national language would lead to the marginalization of other languages. This has led to protests and demands for greater recognition of regional languages.

Another controversy surrounding Hindi is its association with Hindu nationalism. The use of Hindi as a symbol of national identity has been criticized by some as a means of promoting the Hindu religion and culture, thereby marginalizing other religious and cultural groups in India.

Hindi is an important language in India, both for its cultural significance and its practical uses. It is the de facto national language and an important language for governance, education, and employment. However, its promotion as a national language has been met with resistance, with some states demanding greater recognition of regional languages. Despite the controversies, Hindi remains an integral part of the Indian identity and will continue to play a vital role in the country’s future.

Is Hindi the only official language of India?

No, India recognizes 22 official languages, of which Hindi is one.

How many people speak Hindi in India?

Over 40% of the population speaks Hindi as their first language.

What is the controversy surrounding Hindi as a national language?

Some states have expressed concern that the promotion of Hindi as a national language would lead to the marginalization of other languages. Additionally, its association with Hindu nationalism has been criticized by some as a means of promoting the Hindu religion and culture.

Is knowledge of Hindi required for employment in the Indian government?

Yes, in many cases, knowledge of Hindi is a requirement for employment in the Indian government and public.

Can I learn Hindi as a second language?

Yes, Hindi is widely taught as a second language in schools and universities across India. There are also many resources available for learning Hindi online.

Are there any other languages that are widely spoken in India besides Hindi?

Yes, India is a diverse country with many languages spoken. Besides Hindi, other widely spoken languages in India include Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, and Urdu.

“Hindi Diwas 2021: What is the history behind celebrating Hindi Diwas?” India Today, 14 September 2021, https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/hindi-diwas-2021-what-is-the-history-behind-celebrating-hindi-diwas-1852341-2021-09-14.
“Languages of India.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 April 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_India.
“Hindi Language.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 18 January 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hindi-language.

Debate Over National Language – UPSC Post-Independence Notes

The debate over establishing a national language has been a perennial point of contention across many nations worldwide. Advocates argue that a common language fosters unity, streamlines communication, and promotes national identity. Conversely, opponents raise concerns about cultural diversity, linguistic rights, and exclusionary practices. This debate is not merely linguistic but also touches upon issues of politics, culture, and identity, reflecting the complex interplay between language and society. As societies grapple with globalization, immigration, and multiculturalism, the discussion surrounding a national language continues to evolve, reflecting shifting societal values and priorities.

The language issue was indeed a significant aspect of India’s post-independence period. Here’s a summary of the key points:

Languages at Independence : At the time of Independence, India was a linguistically diverse nation with eleven major languages spoken by more than a million people each.
Debate Over National Language : With independence came the question of choosing a ‘national’ or ‘official’ language to replace English, which had been the colonial-era official language. Gandhi advocated for Hindustani as a means of national integration, a language that was neither too Sanskritised nor too Persianised. Nehru also recognized the potential of Hindustani for this purpose.
Resistance to Hindi : The idea of making Hindi the national language faced strong opposition from non-Hindi-speaking regions, particularly in southern and eastern India.
Language Committee’s Compromise : To address the resistance, the Language Committee of the Constituent Assembly proposed a compromise. It decided that Hindi in the Devanagari script would be the ‘official’ language, but the transition would be gradual. For the first fifteen years, English would continue to be used for all official purposes. Provinces were given the option to choose a regional language for official work within the province, and these languages were listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Official Languages Act of 1963 : This Act clarified the language policy further. It stated that Hindi would become the official language in 1965. However, English was given the status of ‘associate additional official language’ to accommodate non-Hindi speakers.
Resentment and Demonstrations : Despite these provisions, resentment against Hindi, particularly in south India, continued. This led to violent demonstrations in late 1964 and early 1965.
Official Languages (Amendment) Act of 1967 : This Act provided a bilingual solution for official communication between the Centre and states (English-Hindi). It also recognized regional languages in provincial administration and public service examinations, acknowledging the diverse linguistic landscape of India.

The language issue was a sensitive and complex matter, and the policies and compromises made during this period aimed to strike a balance between promoting linguistic diversity and fostering national unity.

Table of Contents

Q: What is the debate over having a national language?

A: The debate over having a national language revolves around whether a country should adopt a single language as its official or primary language. Advocates argue that it promotes national unity, cultural preservation, and facilitates communication. Opponents, however, raise concerns about linguistic diversity, discrimination against minority languages, and the potential exclusion of non-native speakers.

Q: Why do some countries have a designated national language?

A: Countries designate a national language for various reasons, including historical, cultural, and political factors. It can symbolize national identity, strengthen social cohesion, and streamline government operations. Additionally, a national language often serves as a medium for education, administration, and legal proceedings, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in governance.

Q: What are the implications of imposing a national language?

A: Imposing a national language can have both positive and negative implications. On the positive side, it can foster a sense of belonging, promote linguistic unity, and facilitate communication within the country. However, it may also marginalize minority languages, suppress linguistic diversity, and create barriers for non-native speakers, potentially exacerbating social inequalities and cultural tensions.

Q: How do countries address linguistic diversity within the context of a national language?

A: Countries with linguistic diversity often adopt policies to accommodate multiple languages while still upholding a national language. These policies may include bilingual education, official recognition of minority languages, and measures to preserve and promote linguistic heritage. Additionally, some countries implement language rights laws to ensure equal access to services and opportunities for speakers of all languages.

Q: Can a country function effectively without a designated national language?

A: Yes, a country can function effectively without a designated national language by embracing linguistic diversity and implementing inclusive language policies. In such cases, multiple languages may enjoy official status or recognition, fostering multiculturalism and respect for linguistic rights. However, effective communication across diverse linguistic communities remains essential, often requiring bilingual or multilingual approaches in governance, education, and public services.

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यूपीएससी मेन्स से पिछले 09 वर्षों के विषय-वार निबंध प्रश्न (2013 - 2021)

UPSC सिविल सेवा मुख्य परीक्षा का पेपर-I निबंध होता है। इसमें आईएएस मुख्य परीक्षा के उम्मीदवारों को कुछ दिए गए विषयों में से दो विषयों पर निबंध लिखने होते हैं। यह पेपर कुल 250 अंकों का होता है और इसके अंकों को अंतिम मेरिट सूची के लिए ध्यान में रखा जाता है। इस लेख में, हमने 2013 से 2021 तक UPSC mains exam में पूछे गए सभी निबंध विषयों को सूचीबद्ध किया है। हमने आपकी तैयारी को आसान बनाने के लिए पिछले 09 वर्षों के निबंध प्रश्नों को भी विषयों में वर्गीकृत किया है।

यूपीएससी मेन्स से पिछले 09 वर्षों के विषय-वार निबंध प्रश्न (2013 – 2021)- Download PDF Here

यूपीएससी निबंध विषय

“सर्वोत्तम कार्यप्रणाली” से बेहतर कार्यप्रणालियाँ भी होती हैं । (2021)
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आर्थिक विकास और विकास

व्यक्ति के लिए जो सर्वश्रेष्ठ है, वह आवश्यक नहीं कि समाज के लिए भी हो | (2019)
भारत में अधिकतर कृषकों के लिए कृषि जीवन – निर्वाह का एक सक्षम स्रोत नहीं रही है। (2017)
नवप्रवर्तन आर्थिक संवृद्धि और सामाजिक कल्याण का अपरिहार्य निर्धारक है |
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सकल घरेलू उत्पाद (GDP) के साथ-साध सकल घरेलू खुशहाली (GDH) देश की सम्पन्नता के मूल्यांकन के सही सूचकांक होगे । (2013)

संघवाद, विकेंद्रीकरण

भारत में संघ और राज्यों के बीच राजकोषीय संबंधों पर नए आर्थिक उपायों का प्रभाव । (2017)
संघीय भारत में राज्यों के बीच जल-विवाद | (2016)
सहकारी संघवाद : मिथक अथवा यथार्थ | (2016)

भारतीय संस्कृति और समाज

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वे सपने जो भारत को सोने न दें । (2015)
क्या औपनिवेशिक मानसिकता भारत की सफलता में बाधक हो रही है ? (2013)

सामाजिक न्याय/गरीबी

बिना आर्थिक समृद्धि के सामाजिक न्याय नहीं हो सकता, किन्तु बिना सामाजिक न्याय के आर्थिक समृद्धि निरर्थक है | (2020)
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कहीं पर भी गरीबी, हर जगह की समृद्धि के लिए खतरा है | (2018)
जो समाज अपने सिद्धान्तों के ऊपर अपने विशेषाधिकारों को महत्त्व देता है, वह दोनों से हाथ थो बैठता है | (2018)
क्या प्रतिस्पर्धा का बढ़ता स्तर युवाओं के हित में है ? (2014)

मीडिया और समाज

पक्षपातपूर्ण मीडिया भारत के लोकतंत्र के समक्ष एक वास्तविक खतरा है | (2019)

पर्यावरण/शहरीकरण

जलवायु परिवर्तन के प्रति सुनम्य भारत हेतु वैकल्पिक तकनीकें | (2018)
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आर्थिक क्षेत्र / बहुराष्ट्रीय कंपनियां

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डिजिटल अर्थव्यवस्था : एक समताकारी या आर्थिक असमता का स्रोत | (2016)
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अधिकार (सत्ता) बढ़ने के साथ उत्तरदायित्व भी बढ़ जाता है । (2014)
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स्त्री-पुरुष के समान सरोकारों को शामिल किए बिना विकास संकटग्रस्त है | (2016)

उद्धरण – आधारित/दर्शन

इच्छारहित होने का दर्शन काल्पनिक आदर्श (युटोपिया) है, जबकि भौतिकता माया है। (2021)
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सरलता चरम परिष्करण है | (2020)
विवेक सत्य को खोज निकालता है | (2019)
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स्वीकारोक्ति का साहस एवं सुधार करने की निष्ठा सफलता के दो मंत्र हैं | (2019)
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आप की मेरे बारे में धारणा, आपकी सोच दर्शाती है; आपके प्रति मेरी प्रतिक्रिया, मेरा संस्कार है। (2021)
विचारपरक संकल्प स्वयं के शांतचित्त रहने का उत्प्रेरक है | (2020)
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आवश्यकता लोभ की जननी है तथा लोभ का आधिक्य नस्‍लें बर्बाद करता है | (2016)
फुर्तीला किन्तु संतुलित व्यक्ति ही दौड़ में विजयी होता है । (2015)
किसी संस्था का चरित्र चित्रण, उसके नेतृत्त्व में प्रतिबिम्बित होता है। (2015)
क्या गुटनिरपेक्ष आंदोलन (नाम) एक बहुध्रुवीय विश्व में अपनी प्रासंगिकता को खो बैठा है ? (2017)

विज्ञान और तकनीक

इतिहास स्वयं को दोहराता है, पहली बार एक त्रासदी के रूप में, दूसरी बार एक प्रहसन के रूप में। (2021)
आत्म-संधान की प्रक्रिया अब तकनीकी रूप से बाह्मय स्रोतों को सौंप दी गई है। (2021)
प्रौद्योगिकी, मानवशक्ति को विस्थापित नहीं कर सकती । (2015)
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इंटरनेट/आईटी

कृत्रिम बुद्धि का उत्थान : भविष्य में बेरोजगारी का खतरा अथवा पुनःकौंशल और उच्चकौशल के माध्यम से बेहतर रोजगार के सृजन का अवसर | (2019)
“सोशल मीडिया” अंतर्निहित रूप से एक स्वार्थपरायण माध्यम है। (2017)
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अंतर्राष्ट्रीय संगठन / संबंध

अंतर्राष्ट्रीय संबंधों में मौन कारक के रूप में प्रौद्योगिकी | (2020)
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दक्षिण एशियाई समाज सत्ता के आस-पास नहीं, बल्कि अपनी अनेक संस्कृतियों और विभिन्न पहचानों के ताने-बाने से बने हैं | (2019)
रूढ़िगत नैतिकता आधुनिक जीवन की मार्गदर्शक नहीं हो सकती है | (2018)
‘अतीत’ मानवीय चेतना तथा मूल्यों का एक स्थायी आयाम है | (2018)
हर्ष कृतज्ञता का सरलतम रूप है। (2017)
भारत के सम्मुख संकट – नैतिक या आर्थिक | (2015)
क्या स्टिंग ऑपरेशन निजता पर एक प्रहार है ? (2014)
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आईएएस मेन्स की तैयारी करते समय, उम्मीदवारों को UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practise पर ध्यान देना चाहिए क्योंकि इससे आपकी गति, दक्षता और लेखन कौशल में सुधार होगा। यह स्वतः ही निबंध लेखन में भी मदद करेगा।

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Hindi as the National language- advantages and disadvantages.

It's been quite a while since I had the drive or inspiration to write on a subject. A few weeks ago, after watching an episode of "We, the people" on NDTV, I had a long argument with my friend on the subject of Hindi imposition in India. The issue was again discussed in one of the articles in the Times of India today. Personally, I have always considered the ability to understand and speak in Hindi to be an advantage. However, I do not believe that imposing Hindi in schools and organizations throughout the country is the right way to move forward. India is a diverse country, where everyone is free to practice his/her own religion, speak his/her own language... I do not see the necessity of a national language to "unite" us all. When I made this point, my friend said that "you people" conceive this as an "imposition", instead of a duty or a privilege; "when the rest of India is ready to accept Hindi as the national language, why are a few southern states opposing it" - this "morally higher" ground is what got me riled up.

I want to make one point clear, right from the outset. I am proud to be Indian; I have no qualms about opposing the anti-Indian, pro-Tamil-state stance of a few extremist groups from Tamil Nadu; or criticizing the anti-Hindi protests by MNS in Maharashtra, or the pro-Kannada rallies taken out by a few groups in Bangalore. I am not a regionalist; I oppose replacing English with Kannada as the medium of instruction in the schools in Karnataka. All I am opposed to is the imposition of one single language on the entire country. I strongly believe that the people should be given the choice of the language they want to study. If they choose to learn and speak Hindi, then we have no issues. If not, no one should have the right to impose on them, nor should fingers be pointed, purporting a "lack of pride and patriotism". This is what I vehemently disagree with. Am I anti-Hindi? Nope - I am as pro-Hindi, as I am pro-Tamil, or pro-Bengali; or as anti-Hindi as I am anti-Gujarati or anti-Telugu. Most people are not against a particular language, unless someone enforces the language on them. Nothing unites people for a revolt, nothing antagonizes them, more than what one might envisage as an unfair mandate.

According to the 2001 census, 41% of the Indian population are native speakers of the Hindi dialect. By imposing Hindi as the national language, are we not providing an unfair advantage to this 41% of the population? Consider a kid in one of the rural areas of Karnataka, studying in the third grade. Most of the children work, as well as manage to go to school a few days a week. They may not have enough time to spend on learning a new language "Hindi". I believe their time would be spent better, learning English, and other subjects like Mathematics and the sciences. Contrast this kid with a kid from the rural areas in the Hindi speaking belt. He would not have to spend as much time learning "Hindi", as it is his mother tongue. Why should we place 59% of the population in a disadvantageous position?

People might ask - "what about the people in urban areas?" I still would say that the people should be provided with a choice, lest a portion of the population suffer from an unjust handicap. Consider the simple example of admission into a university, after high school. The total score, including the languages, is the criterion for admission in some premier institutions. A kid, studying in Bangalore would be at a disadvantage, as his Hindi would be of lower standard as compared to one from Delhi - leading to a lower score. Given a choice, he might have chosen a third language which neutralizes the playing field, so to say - maybe a classical language like Sanskrit. I took up English, Kannada and Sanskrit as my three languages at school. In spite of this, thanks to my exposure to television and movies, I can understand Hindi, and I am able to talk decently in Hindi. Now, I have an advantage of knowing a fourth language - not unmerited, but a fair leverage. Why leave someone bereft of such an opportunity?

Let everyone be on equal grounds. If the government is bent upon having the non-Hindi speaking states enforce Hindi as a language, by means of their support for the 3 language policy, they should strictly enforce the 3-language policy in the Hindi-speaking states as well. In that case, everyone is learning a foreign language "English", their own native language, which might be Kannada or Hindi, as the case may be, and a third non-native Indian language - all Indians are on equal grounds with no unfair advantage to a single group of people. The issue raised by a few people against this is that there is no single language other than Hindi, that can be universally taught in the Hindi speaking state, as the non-native Indian language. The solution I have for this concern, is to have the states choose from a quorum of official languages - they can always hire teachers from other states, and develop appropriate expertise over time. If they are not successful in implementing equality by means of the 3 language policy, then they should not try to enforce the "third" language on the southern states either.

What really ticks me off is when someone takes the stance that when the other states do not have a problem, why is the issue being raised by the "southern" states? Well, it is the southern states that have their language the most different from Hindi - other languages like Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali etc., all have some commonality with Hindi. To the people from the Southern states, Hindi is as different from their native language, as English is. Also, I would like to point out that in addition to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, West Bengal and Orissa have also traditionally opposed the imposition of Hindi. The North-eastern states, I believe, are always unfairly treated; like step-children, I would say - the voice of their people is not as loud as those from their Southern counterparts. When "we" are the most affected, of course, "we" are the ones who make the loudest opposition. It is not anti-nationalistic if we oppose Hindi; we are as "Indian" as any other citizen from any other state. Equating "Hindi" to "India" is prevarication.

The other issue raised by proponents of the Hindi imposition is that when we are ready to accept English, which is a foreign language, why are we not ready to learn one of our own languages - Hindi. The utility of learning Hindi is much lower, compared to learning English. A person would learn a language if it has utility. Whether one wants to accept it or not, English is the universally accepted as the international language today, and we have to learn this foreign language if we have to survive and compete in today's world. Also, Hindi, a form of Hindustani, which was majorly influenced by the Persians and Mughals, although derived from Sanskrit, could be considered "foreign". Why not make "Sanskrit", the most pure, indigenous language of India as its national language? Why choose one foreign language over another? I do not think anyone would have issue with having Sanskrit as the national language - though impractical, I am just trying to make a point.

Finally, I come back to the democratic idea of choice. Let the people have choice - let them choose to learn or speak in the language they choose. Imposition or enforcement only makes things worse, as has been demonstrated repeatedly in our history. If people are provided with choice, politicians like Raj Thackeray and Karunanidhi lose their ammunition against the establishment; they will no longer be able to use the ignorance of the illiterate masses for their own political mileage. Multilingualism is an integral part of our diversity - let us preserve it. Instead of fighting over unimportant issues like this, people would concentrate on more relevant issues, and we would move forward, as a nation.

Shashaank Singh

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Revisiting the Making of Hindi as a ‘National’ Language

Related Papers

Ganpat Teli

During the freedom movement of India, the complex and controversial of the National Language was raised. In this controversy Gandhi supported the concept of Hindustani. Gandhi's thoughts on languages are discussed in this paper. This article will try to look on other dimensions of his thoughts on languages as well. Gandhi accepts religion as a base to consolidate his views on language. However, Gandhi's concept was an expression of exclusion in some sense, as non-northern and non-Hindu and non-Muslims weren't part of it. In addition to these features, Gandhi's contradictions regarding thoughts on language will also be discussed.

Language Spread and Language Policy ed by Peter H. Lowenberg, Georgetown University Roundtable (GURT) 1987

S. N. Sridhar

critical paper on the perspectives of Hindi language

DrJagannadha V Reddy

GLOBALISATION AND HINDI Globalization in true sense is not a challenge but an opportunity for every nation to keep pace with the progressing world. India is also not an exception to this. From the age- old centuries India is known for its rich and varied culture and heritage. From Vedic period to present computer age India is known for its fascinating traditions and culture. Because of this rich culture India is best known as “Karma Bhoomi”, “Gnana Bhoomi”, “Land of Action“ and “Land of Wisdom”. ‘Unity in diversity’ and ‘Diversity in unity’ are the two dimensions of Indian culture. Culture includes language also, which is believed to be the communication tool. Hindi is also one such age-old Indian language, which has got its origin from ‘Prakrit’, ‘Pali’, and ‘Apabhramsa’ sequentially. As India is marching ahead and globalization phenomenon influencing all walks of life, Indian languages are also passing through new circumstances. Especially in a country like India where divergent cultures and different languages exist, it is very important for people to have a common communicative or link language. With this vision only our constitution builders have given the status of link language to Hindi. Hindi is spoken and understood by more then 60% population of India. So it can serve as a link language. With the implementation of official language act in 1949 Hindi was made as ‘Official and State language’ of India. Since then September 14th is celebrated as Hindi day. Even though it was given the status of state language its implementation and usage is not satisfactory till today. With the advent of globalization English is suppressing Hindi and other Indian languages. But with rich literary treasure and cultural uniqueness Hindi as well as other Indian languages are showing their presence. In fact it is a concept developed to bring down the economic inequalities between the nations. Globalization gives wide range of opportunities in the field of economy. As India is very big market with over hundred crore population it is very essential for all the multinational companies to give equal importance to Hindi and other Indian languages to take hold off the Indian market. With the impact of globalization Hindi is also influenced very much and we can see the impact on Hindi following areas namely 1. Teaching of Hindi 2. Use of Hindi field of communication, 3.Use of Hindi in technological applications, 4. Use of Hindi in Media.

Sandeep Sharma

From Southern Theory to Decolonizing Sociolinguistics: Voices, Question and Alternatives.

Jaspal Naveel Singh

Mohammad Sajjad

This discussion paper attempts at making a re-appraisal of some of the works on linguistic identity politics around Hindi-Urdu-Hindustani, in twentieth century India. It calls into question certain assumptions about Urdu. It argues that Urdu, contrary to common perceptions, was shedding its Persianization and its literature was drawing upon local imageries. Urdu’s anti-colonial and anti-separatist articulations have been highlighted. It underlines that marginalization of Urdu in late-colonial and post-colonial India was more because of majoritarian discriminations. Gandhiji’s project of ‘Hindustani’ and the inclusive nationalism of the Congress, threw inadequate weight behind the project. They were rather inclined more towards Hindi, and some important leaders of the Congress, more particularly in UP, were not only pro-Hindi but also anti-Urdu. The exclusion of the Hindustani from the broadcast plan of the All India Radio, by 1944-45, and the ill-fated Hindustani Prachar Sabha (1942) testify the majoritarian assertion of Hindi against Urdu. It further argues that Urdu was wrongly vilified to have played role in dividing India; this perception held in popular as well as academic domain, had its bearings upon the fate of Urdu in sovereign India.

Contemporary Issues in Languages and Humanities An International Peer-reviewed Journal

Chavan Dilip

Kasturi Sinha

The present research paper entitled as 'Literature Instilling about the Decline of Hindi Language' discusses an issue which has been highlighted in the selected Bollywood films. It is to be said that the films show mirror to the cultural practices and reflects it on the silver screen. Nowadays , communicating in English is in vogue, more than as a medium of communication it is a style statement and matter of pride and because of this everyone wants to learn this language. English is a lingua franca and one must learn it to match with the pace of the world but not at the cost of ignoring one's native-tongue. The language of any region is not just a language but it is an inheritance of one's roots and unique identity. It must be preserved because it connects one with his culture. Culture is transmitted from generation to generation as tradition via one's native-tongue and at the same time, it is passed on as a legacy to the next generation. In the present research paper, the researchers have underscored the plight of the characters who feel second to other people of their own country because they can't speak English.

Rizwan Ahmad

Gender & History

Asha Sarangi

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Indian Language Syllabus – Civil Services Mains Exam UPSC

Last updated on November 10, 2020 by Alex Andrews George

The qualifying paper on Indian Languages will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard. The marks obtained in this paper will not be counted for ranking. The aim of the paper is to test the candidates’ ability to read and understand serious discursive prose and to express his ideas clearly and correctly, in the English and Indian Language concerned. The minimum marks needed is 30%. (UPSC says, the papers on Essay, General Studies and Optional Subject of only such candidates will be taken cognizance who attain 30% marks in Indian Language and 25% marks in English as minimum qualifying standards in these qualifying papers .)

Indian Language Syllabus – Civil Services Mains Exam UPSC

Table of Contents

Qualifying Indian Language Syllabus – Civil Services Mains Exam

The pattern of questions in the qualifying Indian Language Paper would be broad as follows:

(i) Comprehension of given passages. (ii) Precis Writing (iii) Usage and Vocabulary. (iv) Short Essay (v) Translation from English to the Indian language and vice‐versa.

Indian Languages and Scripts Allowed by UPSC for Civil Services Exam

For the Language medium/ literature of languages, the scripts to be used by the candidates will be as under:—

Language Script
Assamese Assamese
Bengali Bengali
Gujarati Gujarati
Hindi Devanagari
Kannada Kannada
Kashmiri Persian
Konkani Devanagari
Malayalam Malayalam
Manipuri Bengali
Marathi Devanagari
Nepali Devanagari
Oriya Oriya
Punjabi Gurumukhi
Sanskrit Devanagari
Sindhi Devanagari or Arabic
Tamil Tamil
Telugu Telugu
Urdu Persian
Bodo Devanagari
Dogri Devanagari
Maithilli Devanagari
Santhali Devanagari or Olchiki

Note: For the Santhali language, the question paper will be printed in Devanagari script; but candidates will be free to answer either in Devanagari script or in Olchiki.

Note: Paper A will not be compulsory for candidates hailing from the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim.

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About Alex Andrews George

Alex Andrews George is a mentor, author, and social entrepreneur. Alex is the founder of ClearIAS and one of the expert Civil Service Exam Trainers in India.

He is the author of many best-seller books like 'Important Judgments that transformed India' and 'Important Acts that transformed India'.

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Reader Interactions

August 5, 2015 at 7:01 pm

I want to know the books related to Telugu language paper in main examination..

April 17, 2019 at 3:24 pm

What are the books for telugu to study

August 21, 2015 at 9:54 pm

can english be taken as language for Paper – I in Mains???

July 23, 2016 at 9:21 pm

Only Indian Languages Manish

August 12, 2018 at 12:34 am

Sandeep what is the syllabus of Paper-A HINDI ( Indian Language ) ?

October 9, 2015 at 4:07 pm

What are the Books for Tamil Language ?

June 20, 2017 at 9:10 am

do have the book list now pls suggest me too

October 26, 2015 at 12:28 pm

Pleas suggest me a book for hindi language?

August 19, 2017 at 3:26 pm

please tell me books name for hindi language

November 21, 2017 at 6:22 pm

india 2017 its published by govt of india

March 17, 2019 at 6:00 pm

Samanya Hindi unique publications

December 6, 2020 at 9:42 pm

Best of harfuck

November 30, 2015 at 10:43 am

What are the books need to qualify in telugu paper

December 2, 2015 at 11:11 am

Whether hindi language paper is given more importance than any other languages?

January 18, 2016 at 2:48 pm

What are the book for Hindi language clearing paper 1

February 15, 2016 at 9:28 am

WHAT ARE THE BOOKS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE

February 21, 2016 at 1:51 am

For English language which book are perfect

April 10, 2016 at 2:13 pm

I want to know about Assamese Language materials ….how can I prepare myself as a IAS candidate….please give me a suitable feedback thank you …

April 3, 2019 at 11:01 pm

Tumi matric level Assamese pohilei hobo. Like grammar, essay writing, comprehension etc

June 22, 2016 at 11:04 am

books for tamil language?

July 7, 2016 at 8:02 pm

How to prepare for Indian language exam from which study material.

July 29, 2016 at 10:08 am

I don’t no… how to prepare dis exam please help me……

August 8, 2016 at 9:26 am

Could you please post the syllabus and necessary links for Indian Language – Assamese paper ? Thanks

August 23, 2016 at 11:15 pm

if anyone ardently interested for I.A.S …want to group sitting at Kolkata around college street…plse contact to me ….8900094782…9333286359…

September 14, 2016 at 11:50 am

Sir,,..plz inform me mains papers write in telugu or not sir

September 23, 2016 at 1:08 pm

I want to know who book is best for Hindi language…..plz sirmam suggest me.

November 7, 2016 at 11:02 pm

please some one suggest me the books to refer for INDIAN LANGUAGE COMPULSORY (KANNADA), which is qualifying paper

November 9, 2016 at 11:29 am

i need your Gaydens Can I writ upsc exam in gujrati language oll pepar

February 1, 2017 at 11:28 pm

I want to know that which books are better for hindi language … Plzz tell me…

February 25, 2017 at 8:04 am

Sir want to know about indian language’..In ias mains exam

March 7, 2017 at 9:33 am

is there any mocks paper for civil services mains language qualifying paper?

April 5, 2017 at 4:37 pm

There are lot of mistakes when I wrote in Telugu is it possible to clear Telugu language paper in mains?

August 8, 2017 at 10:45 pm

For bengali language, which book are perfect?

September 12, 2017 at 5:37 pm

Suggest Syallabus and Book for Odia language paper please..plz soon anyone.?

September 17, 2017 at 9:28 am

give the details of malayalam language paper its syllubus reference books

October 22, 2017 at 12:19 pm

Sir,Pls suggest syllabus and peparation stategy for malayalam language as regional language paper

December 2, 2017 at 4:52 pm

What are the books required for qualifying urdu compulsory paper…. Plz suggest

December 8, 2017 at 10:31 am

For a person who chooses hindi,is he supposed to write devanagri too?

May 24, 2018 at 11:21 pm

I want suggestions for the best coaching centre for UPSC MAIN Examination. ..

August 3, 2018 at 8:05 pm

I from assam and I wanna use only English language. So can I?

October 21, 2018 at 8:03 am

I am from Assam. What will be my Assamese qualifying paper’s syllabus?

February 9, 2019 at 1:03 pm

How to prepare for Assamese and English languages ?

February 21, 2019 at 4:50 pm

Dear Brother, I physically handicapped candidate (Hearing impairment) and studied 10th class and Intermediate in Andhra Pradesh. While I applying UPSC prelims 2019, It showing below

” The paper A on Indian Language will not, however, be compulsory for Candidates belonging to Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (only Hearing Impairment sub-category) provided that they have been granted such exemption from 2nd or 3rd language courses by the concerned education Board/University. The candidate needs to provide an undertaking/self declaration in this regard in order to claim such an exemption to the Commission.”

Please explain what is above rule.

Dear brother , Can I claim Exemption of UPSC Mains Paper-A for physically handicapped candidate (Hearing impairment).

Please anyone explain this

March 16, 2021 at 11:44 am

Yes you will be exempted as you belong to Hearing Impairment category .

April 28, 2019 at 7:38 pm

Dear sir, I would like to crearify about the paper A in indian language. It says in note as “paper A will not be compulsory for Candidates hailing from the state of arunachal pradesh, manipur, and most North East state”. And I’m from manipur. So, should I prepare for paper A Or not. Please help me to clear my confused. Thanks you.

May 9, 2019 at 4:37 pm

Dear sir, I like to know about indian language because I confused sir. I’m from manipur so should I attaind the papar A Or not. Therefore I request you to help me erase my doubt.

June 9, 2019 at 2:22 pm

I’m belongs to North East India so what does it means “Paper A will not be compulsory for candidates hailing from the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.”…..??? Will u please clear this question

July 1, 2019 at 8:12 pm

what books is for marathi plzzzz comment me

July 21, 2019 at 9:35 pm

Sir I am from assam but I belong to a khasi tribe and I don’t know assamese language….whether I have to give this paper? Kindly answer me

September 29, 2019 at 5:43 pm

can i write optional papers and gs papers in different languages ??

November 9, 2019 at 7:33 pm

The article mentions qualifying marks as 30%, i am positive its 25%? Someone?

November 22, 2019 at 8:08 am

Sir I am from Assam and I want to take Hindi subject for qualifying language paper .Can I take

December 4, 2019 at 5:23 pm

1.Which books have to read for compulsory Kannada paper for upsc? 2.in which publication it’s previous solved question papers available?

December 30, 2019 at 11:36 pm

i did nt understand what is qualifying paper English and any Indian language can any one tell me clearly about this doubt and mains papers and questions how many should attempt how many questions will be given from the subjects

January 20, 2020 at 4:47 pm

Sir can i choose optional subject Electrical Engg. and write in English while opting Hindi as a Medium for other papers i.e. G.S. and Essay.

March 24, 2020 at 2:15 pm

Sir ,is the syllabus of optional literature subjects (like bengali, English) are same with the syllabus of qualifying subjects??

March 5, 2021 at 11:00 pm

If keralaite could be opt malayalam as language paper

November 10, 2021 at 7:04 pm

Is the cutoff for Indian language 30% or 25%?

August 19, 2022 at 11:17 pm

Sir i am from Assam (dima hasao district )but we don’t speak Assamese and don’t know how to write hindi also . Can i choose english in indian language

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Language problem in India UPSC

Static – modern history (post-independence) – the language problem (4) | focus – mains.

Notes for Modern History (Post-Independence)

The Language Problem I

The language problem was the most divisive issue in the first twenty years of independent India, and it created the apprehension among many that the political and cultural unity of the country was in danger.
People love their language; it is an integral part of culture. Consequently , linguistic identity has been a strong force in all societies. This is even more true of a multilingual society like India’s.
Linguistic diversity would inevitably give birth to strong political currents around issues linked to language, such as educational and economic development, job and other economic opportunities and access to political power.
The Indian constitution recognizes twenty -two major languages, including English and Sanskrit. In addition, there are a myriad languages spoken by the tribals and others, with or without their own scripts.
The problem posed to national consolidation by linguistic diversity has taken two major forms:
(i) the dispute over official language of the union and
(ii) the linguistic reorganization of the states.

The Language Problem II

The controversy on the language issue became most virulent when it took the form of opposition to Hindi and tended to create conflict between Hindi-speaking and non-Hindi-speaking regions of the country .
The issue of a national language was resolved when the constitution-makers virtually accepted all the major languages as ‘languages of India’ or India’s national languages. But the matter could not end there, for the country ’s official work could not be carried on in so many languages. There had to be one common language in which the central government would carry on its work and maintain contact with the state governments.
The question arose what would be this language of all-India communication? Or what would be India’s official and link language?
Only two candidates were available for the purpose: English and Hindi. Hindi or Hindustani, the other candidate for the status of the official or link language, had already played this role during the nationalist struggle, especially during the phase of mass mobilization.
Hindi had been accepted by leaders from non-Hindi-speaking regions because it was considered to be the most widely spoken and understood language in the country . The real debate in the Constituent Assembly occurred over two questions: Would Hindi or Hindustani replace English? And what would be the time-frame for such a replacement to happen?

The Language Problem III

The question of Hindi or Hindustani was soon resolved. Gandhiji and Nehru both supported Hindustani, written in the Devanagari or Urdu script. Though many supporters of Hindi disagreed, they had tended to accept the Gandhi–Nehru viewpoint.
The issue of the time-frame for a shift from English to Hindi produced a divide between Hindi and non-Hindi areas. The spokespersons of Hindi areas were for the immediate switchover to Hindi, while those from non-Hindi areas advocated retention of English for a long if not indefinite period.
The case for Hindi basically rested on the fact that it was the language of the largest number, though not of the majority , of the people of India; it was also understood at least in the urban areas of most of northern India from Bengal to Punjab and in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The critics of Hindi talked about it being less developed than other languages as a literary language and as a language of science and politics. But their main fear was that Hindi’s adoption as the official language would place non-Hindi areas, especially South India, at a disadvantage in the educational and economic spheres, and particularly in competition for appointments in government and the public sector.
Such opponents tended to argue that imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi areas would lead to their economic, political, social and cultural domination by Hindi areas.

The Language Problem IV

A compromise was arrived at. The constitution provided that Hindi in Devanagari script with international numerals would be India’s official language. English was to continue for use in all official purposes till 1965, when it would be replaced by Hindi. Hindi was to be introduced in a phased manner. After 1965 it would become the sole official language.
Implementation of the language provisions of the constitution proved to be a formidable task. The issue remained a subject of intense controversy , and became increasingly acrimonious with the passage of time.
Sharp differences on the official language issue surfaced during 1956–60. In 1956, the Report of the Official Language Commission recommended that Hindi should start progressively replacing English in various functions of the central government with effective change taking place in 1965.
Fully aware of the danger that the official language issue could pose to Indian polity , the leadership of the Congress took the grievances of the non-Hindi areas seriously and handled the issue with great care and caution. In pursuance of Nehru’s assurances, though with delay caused by internal party pressures and the India–China war, an Official Languages Act was passed in 1963.
Lal Bahadur Shastri, Nehru’s successor as prime minister, was unfortunately not sensitive enough to the opinion of non-Hindi groups. Instead of taking effective steps to counter their fears of Hindi becoming the sole official language, he declared that he was considering making Hindi an alternative medium in public service examinations. This meant that while non-Hindi speakers could still compete in the all-India services in English, Hindi speakers would have the advantage of being able to use their mother tongue.
Many non-Hindi leaders in protest changed their line of approach to the problem of the official language. While previously they had wanted a slowing down of the replacement of English, now they started demanding that there should be no deadline fixed for the changeover.
Some of the leaders went much further. On 17 January , the DMK organized the Madras State Anti-Hindi Conference which gave a call for observing 26 January as a day of mourning. Widespread rioting and violence followed in the early weeks of February leading to large-scale destruction of railway s and other Union property. The agitation continued for about two months, taking a toll of over sixty lives through police firings.
With the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri in January 1966, Indira Gandhi became the prime minister. As she had already won the trust of the people of the South, they were convinced that a genuine effort would be made to resolve the long-festering dispute.
Indira Gandhi moved the bill to amend the 1963 Official Language Act. The Act provided that the use of English as an associate language in addition to Hindi for the official work at the Centre and for communication between the Centre and non-Hindi states would continue as long as the non-Hindi states wanted it, giving them full veto powers on the question.

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Rose Deller

December 13th, 2018.

Language Movements and Democracy in India

1 comment | 24 shares

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

In this feature essay, Language Movements and Democracy in India , Mithilesh Kumar Jha draws on his recent book Language Politics and Public Sphere in North India (Oxford UP). In the piece, he argues that capturing the real and continuing tensions and challenges of democratic practices in India requires attention to how they are performed and understood within its numerous vernacular spheres, drawing particularly on the linguistic movements that have asserted the importance of ‘minor’ or ‘non-scheduled’ languages in the nation.

This essay is part of the LSE RB Translation and Multilingualism Week , running between 10 and 14 December 2018. If you are interested in this topic, all posts published as part of the week can be accessed here . If you would like to contribute on this topic in the future, please contact us at [email protected] .

Language movements have been debated in numerous ways since the beginning of modern vernacular education and classificatory exercises during colonial rule. During the nationalist phase, the question of ‘national’ language became, politically and emotionally, a very charged issue. The Hindi-Urdu debate is well-known and widely explored. In the first few decades after independence, India witnessed numerous linguistic riots, the linguistic reorganisation of states and clashes between supporters of Hindi and resistances to its ‘imposition’ as the ‘national’ language, especially from speakers of Tamil and other South Indian languages.

Since then, the language issue is seen as more or less settled, although there have been various studies that critically examine the Hindi-Urdu debates, the making of Hindi as the ‘national’ language, or the making of modern Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Panjabi and so on. But there are very few studies using language movements to understand the progress and limits of Indian democracy and its various contradictions. At best, language movements are treated merely as an identity issue. If they promote Hindi or other ‘major’ Indian languages, they are welcomed or promoted. But if they promote other ‘minor’ or ‘non-scheduled’ languages – i.e. the languages which are not part of the eighth schedule of the Indian constitution, such as Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Braj, Tulu, Bodo and so on – they are not only discouraged but also suspected.

Image Credit: Jalamb Junction Railway Station, Jalamb, Maharashtra, India, with station name in three languages (English, Hindi and the local language, in this case Marathi) ( Ganesh Dhamodkar CC BY SA 2.0 )

Language, with the beginning of print and the expansion of nationalism, is at the root of all modern social and political imaginaries. It simultaneously connects the self emotionally and psychologically with community, and that makes language a very powerful tool for social and political mobilisations. In the imaginaries of the nation, the role of a ‘national’ language is of prime ideological importance: the growth and development of one’s language is now seen as the growth and development of self and community. In modern India, Bhartendu Harishchandra’s (1850-85; a Benares-based Hindi writer and poet, also regarded as the father of the Hindi renaissance) idea of nija bhasha unnat ahai sab unnat kee mool (in the development of one’s language lies the roots of all development) became the rallying point for various linguistic communities in north India. However, this makes the language issue in a multilingual country like India even more problematic, especially when ‘minor’ and ‘non-scheduled’ languages begin to assert their demands and concerns. Usually, these movements are seen as parochial and impediments to the growth and expansion of the ‘national’ language – Hindi. However, millions of speakers of Indian languages continue to make sense of and participate in the democratic process through their vernaculars. Linguistic movements and assertions continuously alter and expand the meaning and practices of democracy in India. Therefore, without engaging with these, one’s understanding of Indian democracy shall always be incomplete or partial.

In the linguistic economy of India, we have the English elite at the top, followed by bilingual or trilingual elites with knowledge of English and one or more Indian languages. They have played a historical role in transmitting ideas like democracy or nation or swaraj (self-rule) in various vernacular spheres. Below them are the vast majority of monolingual masses with very little or no knowledge of Hindi, let alone English. In this kind of linguistic economy, one can very well infer the limits of one’s understanding of Indian democracy or polity if it takes into account the concerns of only one particular community. The majority of linguistic communities in India are still grappling with the questions of modernity, democracy, swaraj , nation and so on. And they are willing to reconcile their concerns with the nation’s, but not at the cost of their mother tongues. This make the issue of language and democracy in India even more fascinating.

Rammanohar Lohia (1910-67), the socialist ideologue, in his staunch opposition to English, understood the valuable role of Indian languages in the democratisation of state and society. He wanted Indian languages to be elevated to the status of English. However, the linguistic situation in India is very far from this ideal. English continues to be a ticket to enter into the ruling class of India. And it continues to reproduce a wide gulf between the elite and the masses. Shall India ever overcome this contradiction? Do linguistic movements have the potential to radically alter the privileges associated with a particular language?

Language, although in a limited sense, did provide a modern secular tool for people to connect together by transcending the boundries of caste, religion, class and gender. And a critical understanding of the rise and assertion of linguistic movements in different parts of the country will help one understand processes of domination and subordination. With the standardisation of a language, many languages, even those with rich literary histories, have lost their status, but the speakers of these languages are conscious of their distinctiveness. And when the opportune time comes, they do assert this. Many linguistic movements emerged as a challenge to their appropriation by a standard language. In north India, the speakers of Maithili, Bhojpuri, Awadhi and Braj are making such claims.

There is another aspect to these linguistic movements. There are tendencies towards reproducing the age-old and existing hierarchies within them, even when these movements have been fighting against their appropriation by a standard or ‘major’ language. Within their own spheres, they also try to marginalise their own ‘varieties’ or ‘sub/dialects’. Often these movements are appropriated by the dominant castes and classes. But it is also in these spheres that such dominations are challenged and countered. For example, in the Maithili movement, the leadership has been exclusively in the hands of upper caste Brahmins and Kayasthas. But such hegemony is being increasingly questioned in the movement’s contemporary phase. To democratise the state and its institutions, it is essential to democratise society. Can it be done without democratising vernacular spheres where real battles between democratic and undemocratic forces are fought every day?

Language movements in India provide a valuable source for understanding the trajectories of ideas like democracy, swaraj and nation in modern India. Indeed, deeper engagements with Indian languages and their literary spheres will not only broaden our understanding of Indian democracy and its various challenges, but also the entanglements of these communities with modernity. Were imaginaries in these vernacular spheres distinct from national imaginaries? How did these hierarchical societies and communities reconcile with modern ideals like democracy or equal citizenship? In other words, the real entanglements of democracy in India can be better explained by closely engaging with modern Indian languages and their public spheres. These spheres are not necessarily democratic, but without making them such, trajectories of Indian democracy shall always be incomplete.

Dr. Mithilesh Kumar Jha teaches political science in the Department of Humanities and Social Science, IIT Guwahati. His most recent publication is Language Politics and Public Sphere in North India: Making of the Maithili Movement (OUP 2018).

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One Nation One Language
The Hindi language is one of the 22 languages of the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. The imposition of Hindi was contested in many non-Hindi states, especially in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Violent protests broke out in southern India leading the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, to introduce the 'Official Languages ...
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