Which of the following statements are true of English as used in India?

A. India is counted among the largest English-speaking communities in the world.
B. No group, community, or population of Indians claims English as its mother tongue.
C. More than fifty percent of Indians speak English fluently.
D. English is the country's principal language of commerce.
E. With the growing stature of Hindi as a lingua franca, it has supplanted English as the link language between the central government and the states.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct option is A

Explanation:
India is among the largest English-speaking countries in the world due to its large population and the widespread use of English for education, administration, and media. While English is not a native or mother tongue for any group in India, it remains the principal language of commerce, governance, and international communication. It serves as a secondary language for a significant portion of the population, though not over 50% speak it fluently. Hindi's growing prominence as a national language has not entirely supplanted English, which remains a vital link language between states and the central government, especially in multilingual contexts.

Information Booster:
English plays a dual role as an associate official language and a medium of instruction, especially in higher education.
English gained prominence during British colonial rule and has continued to thrive due to globalization.
English is indispensable for India’s IT, trade, and business sectors, connecting it to the global market.
While India has one of the world's largest English-speaking populations, fluency varies widely, with estimates of fluency at about 10–15%.
Hindi is widely used in northern India but lacks the pan-India reach of English, especially in southern states.

Additional Knowledge:
While no group claims English as its mother tongue, it serves as a first language for a small elite class and a second language for millions.
The claim that more than 50% of Indians speak English fluently is inaccurate. Fluency is much lower, with most using it as a functional language.
Hindi has not entirely supplanted English. English continues to be a key link language in a multilingual nation like India.