Why is it in News?
→ President released the Constitution of India in Santhali language.
→ Event held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Important Points
- Included in the Eighth Schedule by 92nd Amendment Act, 2003.
- One of the most ancient living languages of India.
- Spoken mainly by Santhal tribal community.
- Predominantly used in Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar.
- Also spoken in Nepal and Bangladesh.
- Estimated 7 million speakers in India.
- Belongs to Austroasiatic language family.
- Part of the Munda branch.
- Written using Ol Chiki script.
- Ol Chiki script developed in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu.