The Seventy-first Amendment of the Constitution of India, officially known as The Constitution (Seventy-first Amendment) Act, 1992, amended the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution so as to include Konkani, Meitei (officially called "Manipuri") and Nepali languages, thereby raising the total number of languages listed in the schedule to eighteen. The Eighth Schedule lists languages that the Government of India has the responsibility to develop.[1]
Quick Facts The Constitution (Seventy-first Amendment) Act, 1992, Parliament of India ...
The Constitution (Seventy-first Amendment) Act, 1992 |
---|
|
|
-
An Act further to amend the Constitution of India.
|
Citation | 71st Amendment |
---|
Territorial extent | India |
---|
Passed by | Lok Sabha |
---|
Passed | 20 August 1992 |
---|
Passed by | Rajya Sabha |
---|
Passed | 20 August 1992 |
---|
Assented to | 31 August 1992 |
---|
Commenced | 31 August 1992 |
---|
|
|
Bill title | Constitution (Seventy-eighth Amendment) Bill, 1992 |
---|
Introduced by | Shankarrao Chavan |
---|
Introduced | 20 August 1992 |
---|
|
21st and 92nd Amendments |
|
Included Konkani, Meitei (officially called Manipuri) and Nepali as official languages by amending the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution |
Status: In force |
Close
The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution originally included 14 languages.[2] Sindhi was included by the 21st Amendment, enacted in 1967. Bodo, Dogri, Santhali and Maithili were included in the Eighth Schedule in 2004, through the 92nd Amendment, raising the total number of languages to 22.[citation needed]
The Constitution (Seventy-first Amendment) Act, 1992, was introduced in Lok Sabha on 20 August 1992, as the Constitution (Seventy-eighth Amendment) Bill, 1992 (Bill No. 142 of 1992). It was introduced by Shankarrao Chavan, then Minister of Home Affairs, and sought to include Konkani, Meitei and Nepali languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.[5] The full text of the Statement of Objects and Reasons appended to the bill is given below:
There have been demands for inclusion of certain languages in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. It is proposed to include Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali languages in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. The Bill seeks to give effect to this decision.
2. The Nepali language is also known in some areas as "Gorkha Bhasa". In the Census operations, other nomenclatures such as "Gorkhali", "Gorkdhi", "Gurkhiya", "Khaskura" or "Naipali" have also been used.
The Bill was debated by the Lok Sabha on 20 August 1992 and, as amended, passed on the same day. Clause 1 of the Bill was adopted by the Lok Sabha with a formal amendment replacing the word "Seventy-eighth" by the word "Seventy-first". The Bill, as passed by the Lok Sabha, was considered and passed by the Rajya Sabha on 20 August 1992.[5] The bill received assent from then President Shankar Dayal Sharma on 31 August 1992, and came into force on the same date.[5][6] It was notified in The Gazette of India on 1 September 1992.[7]