Polity/History · 16 Sep 2026

Munshi-Ayyangar formula

Consider the following statements regarding the Munshi-Ayyangar formula and India's constitutional language policy:

  1. The formula designated Hindi as the "national language" of the Union.
  2. Article 343 of the Constitution designates Hindi in the Devanagari script as the official language of the Union.
  3. The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution originally listed twenty-two languages, a number later reduced to fourteen.
  4. The Official Languages Act, 1963 was enacted to permit the continued use of English beyond the original fifteen-year transitional period.
AOnly one
BOnly two
COnly three
DAll four
This question is based on: The Formula India Learned to Reach For: How the Constituent Assembly Settled the Language Question Without a Vote
Take this in full test mode → Instructions for 16 Sep 2026
About this question

Why in news

Hindi Diwas 2026 (September 14) and the Union Home Minister's address at the 6th All India Official Language Conference renewed attention on the 1949 constitutional settlement on language.

Why for UPSC

Tests the precise distinction between "official" and "national" language status - a classic UPSC trap - alongside two commonly confused static facts about Article 343 and the Eighth Schedule's numerical evolution.

Prelims summary

The Munshi-Ayyangar formula (1949) made Hindi the "official," never "national," language under Article 343, while the Eighth Schedule has grown from 14 to 22 languages and the 1963 Act extended English's use beyond 1965.

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