Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey informed the Rajya Sabha that the Ministry of Home Affairs has received ongoing demands for including several Indian languages, including 'Gor Boli', in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. The Ministry clarified that there are no fixed criteria for considering languages for inclusion, with previous attempts to establish criteria through the Pahwa and Sitakant Mohapatra Committees remaining inconclusive. The government recognizes that language evolution is a dynamic process influenced by socio-cultural, economic, and political developments, making it difficult to establish fixed inclusion criteria.
The government acknowledges the sentiments and requirements for including other languages in the Eighth Schedule, stating that such requests must be considered while balancing these sentiments with other relevant considerations. Separately, the Ministry of Culture reported that Sahitya Akademi has instituted a Language Development Board to preserve and propagate endangered and tribal languages of India. The Akademi periodically organizes Language Conventions, including a two-day Banjara Language Convention held on 10-11 September 2022 at Hyderabad.
Additionally, Sahitya Akademi confers Bhasha Samman awards to scholars in two categories: research in Classical and Medieval Literature of India, and outstanding contributions to the development and enrichment of unrecognized languages including tribal languages like Banjara. The Akademi has established two centers for preserving tribal and oral literature: North-East Centre for Oral Literature (NECOL) at Agartala and Imphal, and Centre for Oral and Tribal Literature (COTLIT) in New Delhi.