History, Art & CultureImportant2026-02-16

Centenary Celebrations of Ol Chiki Script

Why focus: GS1 Art & Culture / GS2 8th Schedule — 100-year script anniversary creates a prime target for Santhali language MCQs.

In News

What Happened

On February 16, 2026, the Ministry of Culture inaugurated the centenary celebrations of the Ol Chiki script. To mark the occasion, the Government of India released a ₹100 commemorative coin and a postage stamp. The Ol Chiki script was created in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu exclusively for the Santhali language.

Why It Matters

This celebration highlights the institutional recognition of tribal linguistic heritage and promotes democratic empowerment for marginalized communities. It reinforces India's commitment to preserving indigenous languages and fostering cultural inclusion on a national scale.

Background

History & Context

Santhali, an Austroasiatic language primarily spoken by the Santhal tribe, was traditionally an oral language or written using Bengali, Odia, Devanagari, or Roman alphabets. In 1925, Pandit Raghunath Murmu developed the Ol Chiki script specifically to capture the unique phonetic characteristics of Santhali that other scripts could not. The language's significance was formally acknowledged when it was added to the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution via the 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 2003.

What Changed

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BEFORE: Santhali lacked a dedicated script and relied on Odia, Bengali, or Roman scripts, which could not accurately represent its unique phonetics. NOW: The language uses the Ol Chiki script, preserving its distinct linguistic identity and sounds.
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BEFORE: Santhali was excluded from India's official constitutional language framework for decades. NOW: Following the 92nd Amendment (2003), it is one of the 22 officially recognized languages under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
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BEFORE: The Ol Chiki script functioned primarily as a grassroots cultural and literary movement among the Santhal people. NOW: It has full state backing, celebrated nationally with a commemorative ₹100 coin and stamp, signifying mainstream institutional integration.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This event directly connects to Class 11 Political Science, Chapter 8 (Secularism), specifically concerning minority rights and cultural preservation. The state support for the Ol Chiki script demonstrates how a democratic state can actively intervene to protect and promote the distinct linguistic identity of a tribal minority.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Santhali language and the Ol Chiki script? 1. The Ol Chiki script was developed by Pandit Raghunath Murmu for the Santhali language, which belongs to the Austroasiatic language family. 2. Santhali was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution by the 71st Constitutional Amendment Act.

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