Aizawl, January 22, 2026: Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Thursday held a meeting with members of the Eighth Schedules Study Group constituted under the Mizo Language Development Board (MLDB) to review the progress of initiatives aimed at the inclusion of the Mizo language in the Constitution of India’s Eighth Schedule.
During the meeting at his office, the Study Group briefed the Chief Minister on the status of their work, informing him that while the final report is yet to be formally submitted, it is nearing completion. The Chief Minister appreciated the progress made within a short period and commended the MLDB and the Study Group for their dedicated efforts. He said the recommendations and proposals put forward were well-considered and assured that the government would follow up on them appropriately.
The Study Group informed that extensive consultations had been held with various organisations and communities across Mizoram to gather public opinion on the matter. According to the Group, there is an overwhelming consensus in favour of including Mizo in the Eighth Schedule. Members also noted that although Mizoram had submitted a proposal earlier, no concrete follow-up action had taken place. They suggested the formation of a Task Group to resubmit the proposal in a comprehensive manner and pursue the matter vigorously with the Centre.
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Highlighting the linguistic significance of Mizo, the Study Group said the language was declared the official language of Mizoram in 1974 and serves as a common medium of communication among Zo ethnic communities living in different parts of the world. Mizo has been recognised by the Sahitya Akademi as a regional language and can be studied up to the PhD level. The People’s Linguistic Survey of India has classified Mizo as a growing language, while UNESCO has placed it in the “Vulnerable” category.
As per the 2011 Census, Mizo speakers are spread across 26 States and seven Union Territories of India, with their number in Mizoram recorded at 8,30,846—figures believed to have increased substantially since then. Scholars estimate that the global Mizo-speaking population has now exceeded 2.2 million.
The Study Group also pointed out that Google Translate included Mizo as a translatable language on May 11, 2022, when Google selected only 24 languages worldwide out of 1,745 studied for inclusion.
The meeting was attended by R. Lallianzuala, Chairman, MLDB; Lalsangpuia, Secretary, MLDB; and Study Group members Zoramdinthara and H. Laldinmawia.
