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AS INTRODUCED IN THE RAJYA SABHA ON THE 8TH DECEMBER, 2006.

Bill No. CV of 2006

THE CONSTITUTION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2006

A BILL further to amend the Constitution of .

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Fifty-seventh Year of the Republic of India as follows:— 1. (1) This Act may be called the Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2006. Short title and (2) It shall come into force with immediate effect. commence- ment. 5 2. In the Eighth Schedule of the , the existing entries 17 to Amendment 22 shall be re-numbered as entries 18 to 23 respectively and before entry 18 as so of Eighth Schedule. re-numbered, the following entry shall be inserted, namely:— “17 Rajasthani”.

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STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS The language of is Rajasthani which is a very important language of the Indo- family. Rajasthani has vast literature written in various genres starting from 1000 AD. It is spoken by around eighty million people in Rajasthan and other States of India. The richness of the and literature has been recognized by the and the University Grants Commission and the language and literature are taught and researched in many universities. The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education has included Rajasthani in the educational syllabus and it has been an optional subject in Rajasthan since 1973. The Rajasthan Legislature has already passed a resolution to include Rajasthani in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. There is a widespread popular demand for the inclusion of Rajasthani language which has every cultural, linguistic and literary justification to be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The cultural aspirations of millions of people will be met who take pride in their language and literature which has flourished for many centuries and which the people of Rajasthan would love to preserve and this will be done by the inclusion of Rajasthani in the Eighth Schedule. Thus it would be appropriate to accord recognition to the Rajasthani language and insert it into the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Hence this Bill.

ABHISHEK MANU SINGHVI

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ANNEXURE

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EXTRACT FROM THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA ***** EIGHTH SCHEDULE [Articles 344 (1) and 351]

LANGUAGES 1. Assamese. 2. Bengali. 3. Bodo. 4. Dogri. 5. Gujarati. 6. . 7. . 8. Kashmiri. 9. Konkani. 10. Maithili. 11. . 12. Manipuri. 13. Marathi. 14. Nepali. 15. Oriya. 16. Punjabi. 17. . 18. Santhali. 19. Sindhi. 20. Tamil. 21. Telugu. 22. .

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A Bill further to amend the Constitution of India

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(Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, M.P.)

MGIPMRND—4153RS(S3)—8-12-2006.