THE CHALLENGES OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY

C ultural D iversity and I ndia as a N ation - state The Indian nation-state is socially and culturally one of the most diverse countries of the world. It has a population of about . billion people, according to Census of India , currently the second largest – and soon to become the largest – national population in the world. These billion-plus people speak about , different languages and dialects.

As many as twenty two of these languages have been officially recognised and placed under the th Schedule of the Constitution, thus guaranteeing their legal status. In terms of religion, about % of the population are Hindus, who in turn are regionally specific, plural in beliefs and practices, and divided by castes and languages. About . % of the population are Muslims, which makes India the world’s second largest Muslim country after Indonesia and Pakistan.

The other major religious communities are Christians ( . %), Sikhs ( . %), Buddhists ( . %) and Jains ( .

%). Because of India’s huge population, these small percentages can also add up to large absolute numbers.