Over 90% In Hindi-Speaking States Are Monolingual, Remaining India Embraces Bilingualism: Data

The ongoing exchanges between Tamil Nadu and the Centre over Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds have once again reignited the longstanding language debate.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has reaffirmed the state's resistance to the imposition of Hindi and reiterated its commitment to the two-language policy.

Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has dismissed claims of Hindi imposition, arguing that the policy encourages multilingualism.

"Tamil is one of the oldest languages of our civilisation. But what is wrong if a student in Tamil Nadu learns multiple languages, including Tamil, English, and other Indian languages? There is no imposition of Hindi or any other language. Some friends in Tamil Nadu are merely playing politics," he stated in February.

At its core, this dispute echoes a longstanding concern among non-Hindi-speaking states-particularly in the South-about whether the three-language formula indirectly imposes Hindi.

Another critical question arises: regardless of whether the policy amounts to an imposition, does data on development indicators support the argument that English should be the preferred link language over Hindi?

Multilingualism Among States

Data indicates that non-Hindi speakers are generally more open to learning additional languages, whereas Hindi speakers exhibit lower levels of multilingualism, reported The Hindu.

Data from the 1991 and 2011 Language Census illustrates this contrast. For instance, in 1991, 84.5% of native Tamil speakers in Tamil Nadu were monolingual, a figure that declined to 78% by 2011. Similarly, the proportion of monolingual Odia speakers in Odisha dropped from 86% to 74.5% over the same period.

Conversely, in states where Hindi is the predominant first language, the proportion of monolinguals has remained high or even increased. In undivided Bihar, for example, 90.2% of Hindi speakers were monolingual in 1991. By 2011, in the divided Bihar, this figure had risen to 95.2%. Similar trends were observed in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.

English as Preferred Choice

Further analysis of language choices reveals that non-Hindi-speaking states have increasingly embraced English as a second language. In Tamil Nadu, for example, the share of native Tamil speakers who also spoke English rose from 13.5% in 1991 to 18.5% in 2011. In contrast, in Haryana, the proportion of native Hindi speakers who also spoke English declined from 17.5% to 14.6% over the same period.

The adoption of Hindi as a second language has been more pronounced in states like Gujarat and Maharashtra, where a significant number of native speakers have opted to learn Hindi. In Gujarat, the share of Gujarati speakers who also spoke Hindi increased from 21.6% in 1991 to 39% in 2011.

The Case for English as the Link Language

A comparison of Human Development Index (HDI) scores across states suggests a positive correlation between English proficiency and higher living standards.

States with a greater prevalence of English speakers tend to have better development indicators, whereas states with a higher proportion of Hindi speakers generally exhibit lower HDI scores.

Migration patterns further support this argument. Reports from the Economic Advisory Council to the PM indicate that large numbers of people from Hindi-speaking states are migrating to non-Hindi-speaking regions in search of better economic opportunities. This suggests that English, rather than Hindi, is more effective in providing greater access and mobility, making a stronger case for it to be the preferred link language in India.

(Data: Language census and the Global Data Lab)