Which of the following statements correctly describes the linguistic landscape of India?
1. The Indo-Aryan language family covers the largest geographical area and has the highest number of speakers in India.
2. All languages spoken in the state of Odisha belong exclusively to the Indo-Aryan family.
3. Tamil Nadu and Kerala primarily speak Dravidian languages.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is Only 1 and 3.
Explanation:
☛ Statement 1 is correct: The Indo-Aryan language family is the largest linguistic group in India, spoken by approximately 78% of the total population and covering the largest geographical expanse across North, Central, East, and West India.
☛ Statement 2 is incorrect: Although the official language Odia belongs to the Indo-Aryan family, Odisha is also home to numerous indigenous languages belonging to the Austroasiatic family (such as Santhali, Ho, Sora, and Mundari) and the Dravidian family (such as Kui, Kuvi, and Kurukh). Therefore, not all languages spoken in Odisha belong exclusively to the Indo-Aryan family.
☛ Statement 3 is correct: The southern states of Tamil Nadu (Tamil) and Kerala (Malayalam) predominantly speak languages belonging to the Dravidian language family, which is the second-largest language family in India.
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Dravidian Language Family: Accounts for roughly 20% of the Indian population and mainly comprises Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
☛ Austroasiatic Language Family: Spoken mainly by tribal groups in Central India and Meghalaya (e.g., Khasi and Munda languages).
☛ Tibeto-Burman Language Family: Spoken by people in the sub-Himalayan region and the Northeastern states of India.
☛ Eighth Schedule: Currently recognizes 22 official languages under the Indian Constitution.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Which language was the first to be granted Classical Language status in India? → Tamil (in 2004)
☛ Which language family do the Santhali and Khasi languages belong to? → Austroasiatic language family
☛ Which article of the Indian Constitution specifies Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union? → Article 343(1)
☛ How many languages were originally listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution? → 14 languages
☛ Which constitutional amendment added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali to the Eighth Schedule? → 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003