Jaipur, Mar 16 (IANS): Rajasthan education minister B.D. Kalla on Thursday said that the process to give status of official language to Rajasthani language has started in the desert state.

The concerned ministry has approved the formation of a committee in connection with declaring Rajasthani language as the second official language of Rajasthan, said Kalla adding that after studying the model of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, this committee will submit a report regarding recognition of Rajasthani language on the lines of those there.

The Education Minister was replying to the calling of attention motion brought by Member Rajendra Rathore during Zero Hour in the Vidhansabha on Thursday regarding making Rajasthani language the official language of the state and adding it to the Board of Secondary Education as a third language.

He said that at present Rajasthani language is included as a literary subject in the syllabus under the Board of Secondary Education. He said that it would be possible to include it as a third language after approval from the competent level.

Kalla said that on August 25, 2003, a resolution was unanimously passed by all the members of the State Legislative Assembly regarding recognition of Rajasthani language and its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The Central Government has been urged from time to time to include Rajasthani language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. In this regard, requests have been made to the Central Government by the chief ministers in the years 2009, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2023.

He informed that at present the matter is under consideration at the level of the Central Government.