71st Amendment of the Indian Constitution, 1992

71st Amendment of the Indian Constitution: 71st Amendment of the Indian Constitution, which is officially known as the Seventy-First Amendment Act 1992, has added three more languages to the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution. The three languages that are added to the 8th schedule by the 71st First Amendment of the Indian constitution are

• Konkani
• Nepali
• Meitei (Manipuri)

The government of our country has decided to include this language in the 8th schedule of the Indian constitution to make this language the official language of our country. In this article, you will learn about the 71st Amendment Act of the Indian Constitution 1992, the 8th Schedule of the Amendment Act, its objectives, and Important provisions of the 71st Amendment Act.

What is 71st Amendment of the Indian Constitution?

The 71st Amendment Act was first introduced in the Lok Sabha on 20 August 1992 by that time Home Minister Shankarrao Bhavrao Chavan. After the proper discussion on the bill, the same was passed on the same day by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on 20th August 1992. The then-time president of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma, gave his assent to the amendment act on 31 August 1992, and the act came into force on the same day. This update in the 8th schedule had also been notified in the official gazette of India on 1 September 1992.

8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution

An important move that acknowledged the value of language as a crucial component of identity and culture was the inclusion of the 8th Schedule into the Indian Constitution. By conserving linguistic variety while fostering a sense of national togetherness, it tried to find a compromise. Fourteen languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and others, were first designated as official languages by the Indian Constitution. The number of languages on this list has increased over time to 22. As long as it is one of the languages mentioned in the 8th Schedule, each state in India is free to choose which language or languages would be used in its legislature and administration. For instance, Tamil Nadu speaks Tamil but Karnataka has Kannada as its official language.

Important provisions of 71st Amendment of the Indian Constitution

• 71st Amendment act 1992 added three new languages in the 8th schedule of the constitution.
• It increases the number of official languages of our country in the 8th schedule and by this amendment the total languages in 8th schedule are 18.
• It amends the existing entries of the 8th schedule of the Constitution.
• 71st Amendment act amends the entry 7 and entry 7 will now be considered as entry 8 and “Konkani” shall be inserted as entry 7 in the 8th schedule.
• It amends the entry 8 and entry 8 will now be considered as entry 10 and ” Meitei (Manipuri)” shall be inserted as entry 9 in the 8th schedule.
• It also amends the entries 9-15 and entries 9-15 will now be considered as entries 12-18 and “Nepali” shall be inserted as entry 11 in the 8th schedule.

Objectives of 71st Amendment of the Indian Constitution

Securing minority languages and dialects is one of the main objectives of the 71st Amendment and 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution guarantees that speakers of these languages have access to government services, education, and legal documents in their native tongues by recognizing them. This protects linguistic variety and guarantees that no language group feels excluded. To encourage social inclusion, the 8th Schedule has been crucial. It makes it possible for linguistic minorities to engage fully in the country’s political, economic, and cultural life. Speakers of these languages gain a sense of pride and belonging as a result of this.

Summary – 71st Amendment of the Indian Constitution

71st Amendment of the Indian Constitution which was passed in the year 1992 included Nepali, Konkani and Manipuri languages as the official languages of India along with other. A representation to India’s dedication to maintaining its linguistic variety while pursuing national unity is the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. It acknowledges the significance of language as a potent weapon for social inclusion, identity, and culture. Striking a balance between supporting a language that unites people and defending the rights of linguistic minorities is difficult, though.

FAQs on 71st Amendment of the Indian Constitution

1. What is the 71st Amendment of the Indian Constitution?

The 71st Amendment Act of the Indian Constitution pertains to the inclusion of the Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

2. In which schedule the three languages i.e. Konkani, Nepali, and Meitei (Manipuri) has been added by 71st amendment act 1992?

These languages were included in the 8th schedule of the Indian constitution by 71st amendment act 1992.

3. How many Indian languages were included in the 8th Schedule before the 71st Amendment of Indian Constitution went into effect?

There were 15 languages in the 8th schedule before the 71st amendment act of the Indian constitution.

4. Which articles of the Indian constitution were connected to the 8th schedule of Indian constitution?

Article 344 (1) and Article 351 of the Indian Constitution were connected to the 8th schedule of the constitution.

5. How many languages were now in total in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution?

There were a total of 22 languages in the 8th schedule of the Indian constitution which is considered as National language.

6. What is the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

the 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution contains a list of the country’s official languages. It lists the official languages that the Indian government uses for a variety of tasks.