Authentic Classroom Explanation by IAS Monk

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📍 The Question

The Constitution (71st Amendment) Act, 1992 amended the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution to include which of the following languages?

1. Konkani
2. Manipuri
3. Nepali
4. Maithili

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1, 2 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 2, 3 and 4

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✅ Correct Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3

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🎯 Theme of the Question

Indian Polity | Constitutional Amendments | Eighth Schedule | Languages of India

This question tests precise recall of constitutional amendments related to the Eighth Schedule, a favourite UPSC prelims trap area.

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🧠 Classroom Explanation

The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution lists the officially recognized languages of India.

🔹 Constitution (71st Amendment) Act, 1992

This amendment added three languages to the Eighth Schedule:

• Konkani
• Manipuri (Meitei)
• Nepali

👉 Hence, statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct.

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❌ Why Maithili is incorrect here

• Maithili was not added by the 71st Amendment.
• It was included later through the 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003, along with:
  • Bodo
  • Dogri
  • Santhali

This amendment increased the total number of scheduled languages to 22.

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📊 Quick Revision Table

Constitutional Amendment	Languages Added
71st Amendment (1992)	Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali
92nd Amendment (2003)	Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali

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🧩 Prelims Trap Alert

⚠️ UPSC often mixes 71st and 92nd Amendments in the same question.
👉 Always link Maithili → 92nd Amendment (2003).

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🧭 IAS Monk Whisper

Languages enter the Constitution not by emotion, but by amendment numbers—remember the numbers, and the polity speaks clearly.