Demand for Official Status to Khasi and Garo Languages in Meghalaya
The Meghalaya government has renewed its push for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
2-Minute Summary (TL;DR)
- Meghalaya government is pushing for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
- The Eighth Schedule currently recognizes 22 languages of India.
- Inclusion in the Eighth Schedule provides benefits like Sahitya Akademi support and use in UPSC exams.
- The Meghalaya Assembly passed a resolution for this demand in 2018.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs is currently reviewing the proposal.
- Khasi is an Austroasiatic language, while Garo is a Sino-Tibetan language.
- Constitutional recognition aims to preserve and promote these languages nationally.
- This demand reflects a long-standing aspiration of the Khasi and Garo communities for linguistic recognition.
How This Topic is Tested in Competitive Exams
| Exam | Frequency | Approx. Marks | What Gets Asked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPSC / State PCS | Very High | 15–25 | Polity is a core UPSC subject. Both Prelims and Mains test constitutional provisions in depth. |
| SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS) | High | 4–6 | Questions on constitutional amendments, Parliament, and schemes appear in every SSC paper. |
| State PCS / PSC | High | 5–10 | State PCS papers test both central and state government structures. |
Key Facts to Remember: Demand for Official Status to Khasi and Garo Languages in Meghalaya
- Meghalaya government is pushing for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
- The Eighth Schedule currently recognizes 22 languages of India.
- Inclusion in the Eighth Schedule provides benefits like Sahitya Akademi support and use in UPSC exams.
- The Meghalaya Assembly passed a resolution for this demand in 2018.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs is currently reviewing the proposal.
- Khasi is an Austroasiatic language, while Garo is a Sino-Tibetan language.
- Constitutional recognition aims to preserve and promote these languages nationally.
- This demand reflects a long-standing aspiration of the Khasi and Garo communities for linguistic recognition.
Practice Questions
Q1. Which article of the Indian Constitution is primarily associated with the languages of India, including the Eighth Schedule?
- Article 29
- Article 343
- Article 350A
- Article 345
Explanation: Article 345 of the Indian Constitution empowers the state legislature to adopt one or more of the languages in use in the state or Hindi as the official language(s) of the state. While not directly mentioning the Eighth Schedule, it relates to the official languages of states. The Eighth Schedule itself is not tied to a single article but is a list appended to Article 344(1) and Article 351.
Q2. What is a significant benefit for a language included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?
- Automatic reservation in state government jobs
- Financial grants from the Ministry of Culture only
- Representation in the Sahitya Akademi and use in UPSC exams
- Mandatory inclusion in the national education curriculum
Explanation: Languages in the Eighth Schedule receive support from the Sahitya Akademi for literary development and can be used as optional mediums in examinations conducted by the UPSC, such as the Civil Services Exam.
Q3. Which languages are currently being advocated by the Meghalaya government for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule?
- Khasi and Jaintia
- Garo and Pnar
- Khasi and Garo
- Bodo and Khasi
Explanation: The Meghalaya government has been actively pushing for the inclusion of the Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. These are two of the major indigenous languages spoken in the state.
Q4. In which year did the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly previously pass a resolution demanding the inclusion of Khasi and Garo in the Eighth Schedule?
- 2015
- 2018
- 2020
- 2012
Explanation: The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly had passed a resolution in favor of including Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule back in 2018, highlighting the long-standing nature of this demand.
Q5. Which Union Ministry is currently reviewing the proposal for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule?
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Culture
- Ministry of Home Affairs
- Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Explanation: The Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal ministry responsible for matters related to the Eighth Schedule and is reportedly reviewing the proposal submitted by the Meghalaya government for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages.
How to Prepare Indian Polity & Governance for Government Exams — Demand for Official Status to Khasi and Garo Lang…
Map every news item to an Article or provision in the Constitution. This is what UPSC Prelims directly tests.
For SSC and Railway, focus on the practical side — who appoints whom, term lengths, and what each body does.
Note the date and context of any constitutional amendment or ordinance. Questions are often framed around the 'first time' or 'most recent' event.
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