The use of regional languages in the proceedings of Rajya Sabha has increased manifold times during 2018-2020 with Sanskrit emerging as the fifth widely used among the 22 scheduled languages after Hindi, Telugu, Urdu and Tamil. 

Use of languages in Rajya Sabha

Under Article 120 of the Constitution, the business of the House is transacted in Hindi or English. However, a member who cannot adequately express himself in Hindi or in English can, with permission of the Chairman, address the House in his mother tongue. Such a member should seek the permission of the Chairman in writing, at the earliest possible opportunity, before making his speech.

Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu has been regularly urging the members of the House on use of regional languages during the proceedings.

Of the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule, the Rajya Sabha earlier had simultaneous interpretation services for 17 languages. In July 2018, these services were made available in five more languages. 

List of languages in the Eighth Schedule

The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution consists of 22 languages:

1) Assamese

2) Bengali

3) Bodo

4) Dogri

5) Gujarati

6) Hindi

7) Kannada

8) Kashmiri

9) Konkani

10) Maithili

11) Malayalam

12) Manipuri

13) Marathi

14) Nepali

15) Odia

16) Punjabi

17) Sanskrit

18) Santhali

19) Sindhi

20) Tamil

21) Telugu

22) Urdu 

Of these languages, 14 were initially included in the Constitution. Sindhi language was added in 1967. Thereafter three more languages — Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali — were included in 1992. Subsequently Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali were added in 2004.

Hindi and English are widely used languages in RS

After becoming the Chairman of Rajya Sabha in August 2017, Naidu has been urging the members of the House to speak in their respective mother tongue in the spirit of the federal nature of the House.  

According to a research done by the Rajya Sabha secretariat, while Hindi and English are the widely used languages during the proceedings of the House, the use of 21 other Scheduled Indian languages (other than Hindi) has increased to over five times (512 per cent) per sitting in 2020 over that of the 14-year period between 2004 and 2017.

During this period, four languages — Dogri, Kashmiri, Konkani and Sonthali — have been used for the first time since the Rajya Sabha came into being in 1952 and another six languages — Assamese, Bodo, Gujarati, Maithili, Manipuri and Nepali — have been used after a long gap. 

Rajya Sabha members spoke in 10 scheduled languages (other than Hindi) in the House on 269 occasions during 923 sittings between 2004 and 2017 at the rate of 0.291 per sitting. 

In 2020, 49 interventions in regional languages were made during 33 sittings at the rate of 1.49 per sitting, marking an increase to 512 per cent.

During 2013 to 2017 spanning over 329 sittings, members spoke only in 10 regional languages (other than Hindi) 96 times, all limited to debates. However, during 2018-20 with 163 sittings, regional languages were used 135 times.

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