Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Jammu & Kashmir
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
India is a multilingual country with many states and union territories having their own official languages in addition to Hindi and English at the Union level. Urdu is an important language with historical and cultural significance, and it has been given official language status in some parts of India. This question asks which one among the listed states or union territories recognises Urdu as an official language, a fact frequently tested in general knowledge and polity sections of competitive exams.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question is limited to the four listed options: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.
- We must identify where Urdu has official language status.
- The status referred to here is at the state or union territory level.
- Some of these regions have other primary official languages such as Telugu, Bengali or English.
Concept / Approach:
The concept here is knowledge of the language policies of Indian states and union territories. While Urdu is spoken in many parts of India, it is not official everywhere. Jammu and Kashmir has historically given official status to multiple languages, including Urdu, which served as a major language of administration and culture in that region. In contrast, Andhra Pradesh primary language is Telugu, Arunachal Pradesh has English and various local languages as official languages, and West Bengal main official language is Bengali. Therefore, the approach is to eliminate states where Urdu is not official and select the one where it is.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Jammu and Kashmir has long been associated with Urdu as a recognised official language, along with other regional languages.
Step 2: Consider Andhra Pradesh, which primarily uses Telugu as the official language, with English for certain official purposes, rather than Urdu.
Step 3: Remember that Arunachal Pradesh uses English widely as an official language and acknowledges various local tribal languages, but Urdu does not hold primary official status there.
Step 4: Note that West Bengal main official language is Bengali, and while Urdu is spoken by communities there, Bengali dominates as the state official language for administration.
Step 5: Based on these facts, Jammu and Kashmir is the correct answer as the state where Urdu is an official language.
Verification / Alternative check:
One can verify this fact by checking standard Indian polity notes that list the official languages of each state. These notes consistently indicate that Jammu and Kashmir recognises Urdu as an official language. The other states in the options are rarely mentioned in connection with Urdu official status. Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh are instead associated with Telugu, Bengali and English or local tribal languages respectively. This corroborates the conclusion that among the given choices, only Jammu and Kashmir grants Urdu official language status.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Andhra Pradesh: The dominant official language is Telugu, and while Urdu speaking communities exist, Urdu is not the primary official language for the state, so this option is incorrect.
Arunachal Pradesh: English and local tribal languages are prominent in administration, and Urdu is not recognised in the same official way there, so this choice is wrong.
West Bengal: Bengali is the main official language for the state, and although Urdu is spoken by some groups, it does not hold the official status implied in the question among these options.
Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to assume that any state with a significant Urdu speaking population must have Urdu as an official language, which is not always the case. Learners may also confuse official recognition with cultural or historical presence of a language. Another pitfall is not keeping track of language related constitutional and state level changes, which can cause outdated knowledge. To avoid such issues, students should review standard charts that list official languages state wise and remember especially that Urdu has strong official recognition in Jammu and Kashmir, making it the natural answer in this question set.
Final Answer:
Among the given options, the region where Urdu enjoys official language status is Jammu & Kashmir.
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