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Multilingualism in India

Context: A study of 2011 Census data reveals that only 26.02% of Indians are bilingual and 7.1% are trilingual, raising concerns about the effectiveness of India’s three-language formula.

About Multilingualism in India:

Top & Bottom States for Multilingualism:

  1. Best Performing States (Bilingualism & Trilingualism Highest)
    • Goa – 77.21% bilingual, 50.82% trilingual (only state where trilingualism exceeds 50%).
    • Other high-ranked states: Arunachal Pradesh (64.03%), Sikkim (63.71%), Nagaland (62.15%), Maharashtra (51.1%).
  1. Lowest Bilingualism & Trilingualism (Mainly Hindi-speaking States)
    • Rajasthan (10.9%), Uttar Pradesh (11.45%), Bihar (12.82%), Chhattisgarh (13.25%), Madhya Pradesh (13.51%).
    • These states also fall below 2% for trilingualism.

Common Language Combinations (Bilingual & Trilingual)

  1. Bilingual (Top Combinations in 2011 Census)
    • Marathi-Hindi (3.47 crore) > Hindi-English (3.2 crore) > Gujarati-Hindi (2.17 crore).
    • Tamil-English (1.23 crore) and Telugu-English (80.75 lakh) are the only non-Hindi combinations in the top 10.
  1. Trilingual (Top Combinations in 2011 Census)
    • Marathi-Hindi-English (1.01 crore) > Punjabi-Hindi-English (77.99 lakh) > Gujarati-Hindi-English (66.32 lakh).

Hindi as a Mother Tongue & Regional Distribution:

  • 43.63% of Indians reported Hindi as their mother tongue.
  • Less than 1% of people speak Hindi in 5 states/UTs, including Tamil Nadu & Kerala.
  • Less than 5% speak Hindi in another 7 states/UTs, including Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka.
  • Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana in 2011 Census) had the highest Hindi-speaking proportion in South India at 3.69%.

Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:

  • General Studies Paper 1: Indian Society & Culture
    • Linguistic diversity in India and its role in cultural identity & integration.
    • Regional language disputes and the impact of language policies on education & society.
  • General Studies Paper 2: Indian Constitution & Governance
    • Language policy under Article 343-351 of the Indian Constitution.
    • Three-language formula & role of NEP 2020 in education policy.
    • Federalism & Centre-State relations in linguistic administration.
  • Essay Paper
    • “Multilingualism: A Strength or a Challenge for India?”
    • “Language & National Integration in India”