Marathi, which is an Indo-Aryan language, is the_______ largest language spoken by 6.86% of the total population of India according to the 2011 census.

Correct option is A

Correct Answer: A. Third

Explanation:

• According to the 2011 Census of India, Marathi ranks as the third-largest language spoken in India by percentage of speakers.
• It is an Indo-Aryan language widely spoken in Maharashtra and some parts of neighboring states.

Key Data:

• Marathi: Spoken by 6.86% of India's population, it is the third-largest language in terms of the number of native speakers.
• Hindi: First, with 43.63% of speakers.
• Bengali: Second, with 8.03% of speakers.

Other Options Explained:

• Tamil ranks fourth.