Once civilization’s pride, & mother tongue of several, the languages— Sanskrit & Hindi, respectively, are been blown as being reduced to mere third languages. There was a time when Hindi and Sanskrit stood tall, not just as languages but as the soul of Indian identity. Sanskrit was revered, even feared, for its precision and beauty. Hindi was the voice of the people, a unifying thread among millions. But fast forward to today, and both of these once-proud languages are struggling for space in the school curriculum. They are no longer the first choice. They’re barely the second. For many students now, they are just another option—usually picked as the third language, often without real interest, and almost always without deep understanding.
This shift didn’t happen overnight. It crept in slowly, hidden behind the curtain of globalization and modern education. With the growing demand for English proficiency, regional languages like Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and even foreign languages like French or German began to take priority. Somewhere in this linguistic race, Hindi and Sanskrit began losing their ground.
Sanskrit, especially, has taken a severe hit. Despite being the root of many Indian languages and a treasure trove of ancient wisdom, its presence in classrooms has been reduced to ritualistic recitation or rote memorization. No one speaks it anymore. Few read it for joy or meaning. Even fewer understand it. Hindi, though still widely spoken, is slowly being treated as “less valuable” compared to English or global languages.
And why wouldn’t students feel that way? The social perception of Hindi and Sanskrit has shrunk. Career opportunities are rarely associated with them. Parents, teachers, and institutions, knowingly or unknowingly, reinforce the idea that success equals fluency in English. This mindset, repeated often enough, becomes a belief. The damage? A generation disconnected from its linguistic roots.
According to data from multiple state education boards and central school surveys in the last five years, a noticeable pattern has emerged. In many Indian schools, especially private and urban ones, Hindi and Sanskrit are chosen as third languages, if at all. Let’s look at a few figures:
In many Hindi-speaking states, Sanskrit is commonly offered as a third language in schools. This aligns with the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends that students learn three languages, at least two of which are native to India. However, in practice, Sanskrit is often chosen by default due to the limited availability of other language options, rather than genuine student interest.
At least among this group, it showed up a distinct preference for foreign languages, German and French, as compared to the Indian language, Sanskrit, in a TOI-IPSOS survey across eight cities. This is a development primarily born out of a professional-oriented mindset in a world that is shrinking due to globalization, where knowledge of foreign languages provides better opportunities.
All schools, especially the private schools decreased the number of candidates taking up Sanskrit in recent years as they offer many more foreign languages. These institutions often design their language programmes according to demand, and on the availability of teachers of the languages concerned, resulting in a decline in the enrolment of Sanskrit as students choose other languages that they think will be more helpful for their careers.
The implementation of the three-language formula faces several challenges, including financial constraints and a shortage of qualified language teachers. These issues limit the range of language options available to students, often resulting in Hindi or Sanskrit being offered by default, especially in non-Hindi-speaking states.
Despite efforts to promote Sanskrit, its use in daily life remains minimal. For instance, in Uttarakhand, which declared Sanskrit as its second official language in 2010, there is little evidence of its practical use among the population. The 2011 Census data indicates that Sanskrit speakers constitute a negligible percentage of the population.
As per the 2011 Census of India, just under 24,821 speakers have Sanskrit as their native language, while 1.23 million reported it as a second language and 1.96 million as a third language. This data highlights Sanskrit’s almost non-existent use as a regular primary or secondary language among the populace in the Indian subcontinent.
In the non-Hindi-speaking states, it is usually taught as a third language. Its use is not universal and depends on regional style and the religious domination of the populace, including the availability of other language options. In some regions, students may opt for regional languages or foreign languages over Hindi, reflecting diverse linguistic priorities across the country.
So what does this tell us? It means Hindi and Sanskrit are no longer seen as languages of aspiration. They are seen as academic burdens, chosen only when there are no “better” options left.
This is not just a case of one subject replacing another. It’s a bigger loss—a cultural and intellectual erosion. When we ignore these languages, we ignore centuries of literature, philosophy, and science. We alienate ourselves from epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, which are not just religious texts, but literary masterpieces. We forget the works of Kalidasa, Tulsidas, Kabir, and Premchand. We lose rhythm, poetry, and identity.
One might argue that languages evolve. That’s true. But evolution doesn’t mean abandonment. It should mean growth. English doesn’t have to replace Hindi. French doesn’t have to wipe out Sanskrit. There is room for all if we choose to see the value.
What is deeply troubling is the lack of urgency. We are not angry enough. We are not worried enough. It’s as though we’ve quietly accepted that these languages are outdated. We forget that language is more than a tool for communication—it is a carrier of emotion, history, and wisdom.
Let’s be clear. This isn’t about forcing children to learn what they don’t want to. This is about giving them reasons to value what’s already theirs. It’s about making Hindi and Sanskrit relevant again—not by compulsion, but by reinvention. Let students see why Sanskrit is not just an ancient language, but a scientific one. Let them feel why Hindi is not just a mother tongue, but a lyrical, powerful voice of the people.
Schools, policymakers, and parents need to lead this change. We need better books, passionate teachers, and more meaningful content. We need to stop treating Hindi and Sanskrit as leftovers in a multilingual feast.
In the end, if we lose these languages, we won’t just lose words—we’ll lose windows to our past. And with that, a part of ourselves.
It’s time we ask ourselves: Are we okay with turning our heritage into a formality? Are we ready to become strangers to our own stories? Because right now, Hindi and Sanskrit are not dying from a lack of usage. They’re dying from neglect. And that, dear reader, is the real tragedy.
