Lok Sabha Question No. 177 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-01
Subject: Protection of Indian Languages
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Eswarasamy K

## 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        | BODOGADABA/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        | DIRANGMONPA           | North East Zone   |
| 36        | GURUNG                | North East Zone   |
| 37        | KAGATE                | North East Zone   |
| Sl. No.   | Languages / MTs       | Zone              |

| 38    | 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 79 | BATERI BEDA         | Northern Zone Northern Zone |

|   Sl. 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 |