<P> According to Census of India of 2001 , India has 122 major languages and 1599 other languages . However , figures from other sources vary , primarily due to differences in definition of the terms `` language '' and `` dialect '' . The 2001 Census recorded 30 languages which were spoken by more than a million native speakers and 122 which were spoken by more than 10,000 people . Two contact languages have played an important role in the history of India : Persian and English . Persian was the court language during the Mughal period in India . It reigned as an administrative language for several centuries until the era of British colonisation . English continues to be an important language in India . It is used in higher education and in some areas of the Indian government . Hindi , the most widely spoken language in a large region of India today , serves as the lingua franca across much of North and Central India . However , there have been anti-Hindi agitations in South India , most notably in the states of Tamil Nadu . There is also opposition in non-Hindi belt states towards imposition of Hindi in these areas . </P>
<P> According to Census of India of 2001 , India has 122 major languages and 1599 other languages . However , figures from other sources vary , primarily due to differences in definition of the terms `` language '' and `` dialect '' . The 2001 Census recorded 30 languages which were spoken by more than a million native speakers and 122 which were spoken by more than 10,000 people . Two contact languages have played an important role in the history of India : Persian and English . Persian was the court language during the Mughal period in India . It reigned as an administrative language for several centuries until the era of British colonisation . English continues to be an important language in India . It is used in higher education and in some areas of the Indian government . Hindi , the most widely spoken language in a large region of India today , serves as the lingua franca across much of North and Central India . However , there have been anti-Hindi agitations in South India , most notably in the states of Tamil Nadu . There is also opposition in non-Hindi belt states towards imposition of Hindi in these areas . </P>
how many major languages are there in india
how many major languages are there in india
122
122