UPSC Prelims 2008 Q76: Art & Culture – Literature & Languages
Among the Indian languages, which one is spoken maximum in the world after Hindi?
- (a) Telugu
- (b) Tamil
- (c) Bengali
- (d) Malayalam
Answer: (c) Bengali
Explanation
Most-spoken Indian language in the world, after Hindi
Among Indian languages, one has a particularly large global speaker base due to extensive migration and diaspora communities.
| Option | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Telugu | Incorrect | A major Indian language, but not the second-most spoken globally after Hindi |
| (b) Tamil | Incorrect | Significant global diaspora, but not the top-ranked second language here |
| (c) Bengali | Correct | Bengali, spoken across India and Bangladesh plus a large diaspora, is the second-most spoken Indian language globally, after Hindi |
| (d) Malayalam | Incorrect | Not the second-most spoken globally |
Bengali's global speaker base:
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Spoken in | India and Bangladesh, plus a global diaspora |
| Global rank among Indian languages | Second, after Hindi |
Answer: (c) Bengali.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Telugu is a major language, but not the second-most spoken globally here.
- (b) Incorrect. Tamil also has significant global reach, but not the top second-ranked position.
- (c) CORRECT. Bengali is the second-most spoken Indian language in the world, after Hindi.
- (d) Incorrect. Malayalam is also not the second-most spoken globally.
Key point
Bengali, spoken across both India and Bangladesh plus a large global diaspora, is the second-most spoken Indian language in the world, after Hindi.
Remember
Bengali is the Indian language spoken maximum in the world after Hindi.
Common mistakes
- Underestimating Bengali's global reach, due to its status as the national language of Bangladesh as well.
- Assuming a more populous Indian state's language (Telugu, Tamil) must rank higher globally.
- Not accounting for cross-border speaker populations when ranking language speaker counts.
Exam tip
Bengali = second-most spoken Indian language globally (after Hindi), thanks to its shared status with Bangladesh.
Sources
- Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India — Census of India 2001: Abstract of Speakers' Strength of Languages and Mother Tongues
- Ethnologue: Languages of the World (SIL International) — Summary by language size