UPSC Prelims · General Studies

Ancient, medieval & culture

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Indian art and culture / Literature, languages and sources

Languages, scripts and classical-language status

Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Austro-Asiatic (Munda: Ho, Santali, Mundari; Khasi), Tibeto-Burman; tribal languages such as Halbi, Ho, Kui, Gondi
Prakrits (Ardhamagadhi, Shauraseni, Maharashtri), Pali, Apabhramsha as the bridge to modern Indo-Aryan
Brahmi (Ashokan), Kharosthi (north-west, from Aramaic), Tamil-Brahmi, Gupta and Kutila, Sharada, Grantha, Vatteluttu, Nagari, Bengali, Gurmukhi
Classical Language status: Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu and Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013), Odia (2014); Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, Bengali (2024); criteria and benefits
Eighth Schedule languages (22) as the constitutional list distinct from Classical status; cross-reference to Polity