No fixed criteria for inclusion of languages in Eighth Schedule, says minister Nityanand Rai on Karbi language demand

The demand for the inclusion of several languages, including Karbi, in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution has been raised from time to time. However, there are no established criteria for considering a language for inclusion, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated on February 4 in parliament while answering to a question raised by minister Raja Ram Singh.. 

He emphasized that the evolution of languages and dialects is an ongoing process influenced by socio-cultural, economic, and political factors, making it challenging to set fixed parameters for inclusion.


Previous attempts to define such criteria, notably by the Pahwa Committee (1996) and the Sitakant Mohapatra Committee (2003), remained inconclusive.

"The government acknowledges the sentiments and demands for the inclusion of various languages in the Eighth Schedule. These requests are being examined with due consideration of relevant factors," Rai stated.

Providing linguistic demographics, the minister highlighted that Karbi is a recognized Scheduled Tribe in Assam. As per Census 2011 data, 5,28,503 people reported Karbi as their mother tongue, with the majority—5,11,732—residing in Assam. Additionally, 14,380 Karbi speakers live in Meghalaya, 1,536 in Arunachal Pradesh, 584 in Nagaland, and 107 in Manipur.