Which of the following State has English as the only official language?
2022
Which of the following State has English as the only official language?
- A.
Nagaland
- B.
Sikkim
- C.
Manipur
- D.
Tripura
Attempted by 25 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
In Indian federal practice, each state is free to decide its own official language(s) for state government business; most states settle on the locally dominant language, but a linguistically diverse state with no single majority language may adopt English alone as its sole official language, with no additional state-recognised regional language sharing that status.
Nagaland's state Assembly proclaimed English the state's official language in 1967 -- four years after statehood (1963) -- and no additional regional language has ever been notified alongside it, a direct consequence of the state's highly diverse mix of Naga tribal languages, none of which commands a statewide majority.
Checking each offered state against the same 'only official language' test confirms the choice:
State | Official language(s) |
|---|---|
Nagaland | English (sole official language, adopted 1967) |
Sikkim | English, Nepali, and several scheduled/tribal languages (Bhutia, Lepcha, Limbu, and others) -- recognised jointly |
Manipur | Meitei (Manipuri) |
Tripura | Bengali, Kokborok, and English -- recognised jointly (not English alone) |
Only Nagaland satisfies the 'only official language is English' condition, so it is the correct state.