↑ 1. Schwartzberg, Joseph E., 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica, India—Linguistic Composition. Quote: "By far the most widely spoken is Hindi, the country's official language, with more than 300 million speakers." 2. Oldenburg, Phillip. (1997-2007) Encarta Encyclopedia "India: Official Languages." Quote: "Hindi is the main language of more than 40 percent of the population. No single language other than Hindi can claim speakers among even 10 percent of the total population. Hindi was therefore made India’s official language in 1965. English, which was associated with British rule, was retained as an option for official use because some non-Hindi speakers, particularly in Tamil Nādu, opposed the official use of Hindi."3. United Kingdom, Foreign and Commonwealth Office: India—Country Profile. Quote: "The official language of India is Hindi written in the Devanagari script and spoken by some 30% of the population as a first language. Since 1965 English has been recognised as an 'associated language'." 4. UNESCO: Education for All—The Nine Largest Countries Quote: "Hindi is the language of 30 percent of the population and the official language of India."5. United States Library of Congress, Federal Research Division, Country Profile: India Quote: "Languages: Hindi is the official language and the most commonly spoken, but not all dialects are mutually comprehensible. English also has official status and is widely used in business and politics, although knowledge of English varies widely from fluency to knowledge of just a few words."6United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Country Profile: India Quote: "Hindi is constitutionally designated as the official language of India, with English as an associate official language."
↑ Andrew Simpson (2007). “Language and national identity in Asia”. Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-926748-0. ... the languages of the Eighth Schedule, which have been referred to as the national languages of India since Nehru initiated such a practice...
↑ James W. Tollefson (2002). “Language policies in education: critical issues”. Routledge. ISBN0-8058-3601-2. ... Despite negligible practical import, the symbolic significant of Schedule VIII inclusion is substantial... Any language included in Schedule VIII is a national language of India... the "national" languages of India, i.e., those in Schedule VIII...
