Classical Languages of India: Recognition, Criteria and Centres of Excellence

Subject: GS 1: Art and Culture

Context: The Ministry of Education has approved five Centres of Excellence for Classical Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit to strengthen research and preservation.

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About Classical Language

• Classical Languages are languages recognised for their high antiquity, rich ancient literature and distinctive linguistic and cultural heritage.
• Origin: The Government created the Classical Language category in 2004, initially granting the status to Tamil.
• Recognised by: The Government of India, with recommendations on eligibility made by the Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC) under Sahitya Akademi.
• Criteria for Classical Languages
  • High Antiquity of its early texts/ recorded history over a thousand years.
  • A body of ancient literature/ texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
  • The literary tradition must be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
• Recognised Classical Languages: India currently has 11 recognised Classical Languages. 
  • Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu (2008), Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013), Odia (2014), Marathi (2024), Pali (2024), Prakrit (2024), Assamese (2024) and Bengali (2024).
• Benefits of Classical Language Recognition
  • Research and Scholarship: The status promotes advanced academic research, teaching and scholarly study of the language and its literature.
  • Institutional Support: The Government supports Chairs, specialised institutions and Centres of Excellence for Classical Languages.
  • Preservation and Digitisation: Ancient texts and linguistic resources receive support for documentation, preservation, translation and digitisation.
  • Awards and Recognition: National awards and other academic initiatives encourage scholars contributing to the study and promotion of Classical Languages.

About Centres of Excellence (CoEs)

• CoEs provide dedicated institutional platforms for research, preservation, digitisation and wider dissemination of Classical Language heritage.
• Newly Approved Centres: 

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• Existing Centres: Centres for Classical Kannada (Mysuru, Karnataka), Classical Telugu (Nellore, Andhra Pradesh), Classical Malayalam (Tirur, Malappuram, Kerala) and Classical Odia (Bhubaneswar, Odisha) already function under the Central Institute of Indian Languages framework.

News Source: DD News

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