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Question 142 of 169 · World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies
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Apart from India, Tamil has the status of an official language in:

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Answer: Option C — Sri Lanka and Singapore

Detailed Solution

Apart from India, Tamil is an official language in Sri Lanka and Singapore.

Tamil in Sri Lanka:

  • Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages of Sri Lanka, and English is a link language.
  • In 1956, the "Sinhala Only Act" made Sinhala the sole official language, which caused deep resentment among Tamils and contributed to ethnic conflict.
  • The 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution in 1987, after the India-Sri Lanka Accord, made Tamil an official language as well.
  • Tamils form the second-largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka, concentrated in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and in the central hill country (Indian-origin Tamils).

Tamil in Singapore:

  • Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese and Tamil.
  • Malay is the national language.
  • Tamil-speaking Indians form a significant community, having migrated during British rule.

Tamil in other countries:

  • Tamil is spoken by large communities in Malaysia, Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji, Réunion and other countries, but it does not have national official status there.
  • In Malaysia, Tamil is used as a medium of instruction in some government-aided schools.

Tamil in India:

  • It is the official language of Tamil Nadu and an official language of Puducherry.
  • It is one of the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule.
  • It was the first language to be declared a classical language in India, in 2004.

Antiquity of Tamil:

Tamil has a literary tradition of more than two thousand years, with works such as the Tolkappiyam and Sangam literature.

World Tamil Conferences:

International conferences on Tamil language and culture have been held in several countries since 1966.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗In Malaysia and Mauritius, Tamil is spoken but is not an official language at the national level.
  • ✗Myanmar, Thailand, Fiji and the Maldives do not have Tamil as an official language.

Quick tip

Remember: Tamil is an official language in India (Tamil Nadu, Puducherry), Sri Lanka and Singapore.

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World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers world GK: countries with their capitals, currencies and parliaments, national symbols, famous landmarks, the longest, largest and highest features of the world, and international boundary lines such as the Radcliffe, McMahon and Durand Lines. The most common questions match a country with its capital or currency, or a parliament with its name (such as the Knesset of Israel or the Diet of Japan). Revise countries continent by continent, giving extra attention to India's neighbours. Questions on boundary lines usually ask which two countries a line separates. Practise the world GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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