Parliament Question: Protection of Indian Languages

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 177 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.12.2025 PROTECTION OF INDIAN LANGUAGES 177. SHRI ESWARASAMY K: Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state: (a) the number of languages are prevalent in India, spoken in different region by various communities, sects and tribes etc. and the number of languages have their own script; (b) whether it is a fact that many of such languages have already become extinct or on the verge of extinction during the last fifty years; (c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and (d) the steps taken by the Government to protect these languages along with the culture and traditions interlinked with such languages? ANSWER MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT) (a) As per the Census of India 2011, (Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India), a total of 121 languages have been reported in the country. Several of these languages have their own distinct scripts, while others are written in shared or regional scripts. (b) & (c) The Ministry of Education through Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru, under the Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages of India (SPPEL), works on protection, preservation and documentation of all the mother tongues/languages of India spoken by less than 10,000 people which are called endangered languages. In the first phase of the scheme, 117 endangered languages/mother tongues have been chosen from all over India for study and documentation, details of which may be found at Annexure. (d) The Ministry of Culture through Sahitya Akademi promotes literary dialogue and publication through awards, translations, and events in 24 recognized languages and many tribal and unrecognized languages. It also creates special programs and centers for documentation and preservation of oral and tribal literature, such as the Centre for Oral and Tribal Literature, and awards the Bhasha Samman to scholars working in less-recognized languages. Annual Sahitya Akademi awards are conferred for literary works in 24 languages; and Translation Awards are also presented for translations into Indian languages. ****ANNEXURE Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL) List of Endangered Languages Zone-wise: Sl. No. Languages / MTs Zone 1 LAMONGSE Andaman & Nicobar 2 LURO Andaman & Nicobar 3 MOUT Andaman & Nicobar 4 ONGE Andaman & Nicobar 5 PU Andaman & Nicobar 6 SANENYO Andaman & Nicobar 7 SENTILESE Andaman & Nicobar 8 SHOMPEN Andaman & Nicobar 9 TAKAHANYILANG Andaman & Nicobar 10 BHUNJIA East Central Zone 11 BINJHIA/BIRJIA/BRIJIA East Central Zone 12 BIRHOR East Central Zone 13 BODO GADABA/ GUTOB East Central Zone 14 BONDO East Central Zone 15 DHIMAL East Central Zone 16 DIDAYI / GATA East Central Zone 17 GORUM East Central Zone 18 HOLIYA East Central Zone 19 MANDA East Central Zone 20 MRU East Central Zone 21 PARENGA East Central Zone 22 THARUA East Central Zone 23 THOTI East Central Zone 24 TOTO East Central Zone 25 AIMOL North East Zone 26 ATONG North East Zone 27 BAGI North East Zone 28 BAITE/ BIATE North East Zone 29 BANGRO North East Zone 30 BAWM North East Zone 31 CHINZ / ZYPHE North East Zone 32 CHIRU North East Zone 33 CHOTHE North East Zone 34 DARLONG North East Zone 35 DIRANG MONPA North East Zone 36 GURUNG North East Zone 37 KAGATE North East Zone Sl. No. Languages / MTs Zone38 KAMI / KHAMI North East Zone 39 KHAMBA North East Zone 40 KHAMIYANG North East Zone 41 KHAMPTI North East Zone 42 KOIRENG North East Zone 43 KOMKAR North East Zone 44 KONGBO North East Zone 45 LAMGANG North East Zone 46 LIJU North East Zone 47 MARA North East Zone 48 MEYOR /ZAKHRING North East Zone 49 MOYON North East Zone 50 MUKHIYA/ SUNUWAR North East Zone 51 NAA North East Zone 52 NEWAR / PRADHAN North East Zone 53 NEWARI North East Zone 54 PHAKIAL / TAI PHAKE North East Zone 55 PUROIK / SULUNG North East Zone 56 PURUM North East Zone 57 RALTE North East Zone 58 RANGLONG North East Zone 59 SHERDUKPEN North East Zone 60 SIMONG North East Zone 61 SINGPHO North East Zone 62 TANGAM North East Zone 63 TARAO North East Zone 64 THAPA North East Zone 65 UCHAI North East Zone 66 YOBIN/YOBIN LIJU North East Zone 67 ZAKHRING North East Zone 68 CHINALI Northern Zone 69 DARMIYA Northern Zone 70 GAHRI Northern Zone 71 JAD Northern Zone 72 JANGALI Northern Zone 73 JANGSHUNG Northern Zone 74 KANASHI / MALANI Northern Zone 75 RONGPO Northern Zone 76 SPITI Northern Zone 77 BALASTIN Northern Zone 78 BATERI Northern Zone 79 BEDA Northern ZoneSl. No. Languages / MTs Zone 80 BHADRALIAM Northern Zone 81 DARGARI Northern Zone 82 GOJAPURI Northern Zone 83 HASSADI Northern Zone 84 KHANA Northern Zone 85 KHASHA/KHASH Northern Zone 86 KUSHWAHI Northern Zone 87 MASIDI Northern Zone 88 MESHABI Northern Zone 89 PADDARI Northern Zone 90 SIAN Northern Zone 91 SIRAM Northern Zone 92 TEHGUL Northern Zone 93 ARANDAN Southern Zone 94 ERAVALLAN Southern Zone 95 HAKKIPIKKI Southern Zone 96 JENU KURUMBA Southern Zone 97 KADAR Southern Zone 98 KANIKER GOTTI Southern Zone 99 KUTIYA Southern Zone 100 MALAIMALASAR Southern Zone 101 MALASAR Southern Zone 102 MALAYAN Southern Zone 103 MANNAN Southern Zone 104 MOOPAN Southern Zone 105 MUDUGA Southern Zone 106 MUDUVAN Southern Zone 107 PALIYA Southern Zone 108 PULIYA Southern Zone 109 SIDDI Southern Zone 110 SOLIGA Southern Zone 111 TODA Southern Zone 112 URALI Southern Zone 113 BARADI West Central Zone 114 BHALA West Central Zone 115 BHARWAD/BHARWADI West Central Zone 116 DIWEHI West Central Zone 117 NIHALI West Central Zone