Language in combination with regional and tribal identity helps in the formation of _______in India.

Ethno-national identity

The correct answer is option 1: Ethno-national identity

NCERT: Language coupled with regional and tribal identity – and not religion – has therefore provided the most powerful instrument for the formation of ethno national identity in India. However, this does not mean that all linguistic communities have got statehood. For instance, in the creation of three new states in 2000, namely Chhatisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand, language did not play a prominent role. Rather, a combination of ethnicity based on tribal identity, language, regional deprivation and ecology provided the basis for intense regionalism resulting in statehood. Currently there are 28 States (federal units) and 8 Union territories (centrally administered) within the Indian nation-state.