Govt. plans Centres of Excellence in five classical languages, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• The Union government has approved the establishment of five Centres of Excellence for studies in Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali, and Prakrit.
• These centres aim to support advanced academic research, preservation, and digitisation of linguistic and literary heritage.
• The Centre of Excellence for Classical Assamese will be at Tezpur University, while Visva-Bharati University will host the one for Classical Bengali.
• The Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute in Pune will house the Marathi centre, the Central University of Odisha for Pali, and the Central University of Gujarat for Prakrit.
• This initiative follows the recent granting of Classical Language status to these five languages on October 3, 2024, bringing the total to 11.

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Detailed Insights:

• The establishment of these centres reinforces the government's commitment to preserving and promoting India's rich linguistic and literary heritage.
• The Ministry of Education is spearheading this initiative, emphasizing the role of higher education institutions as hubs for research and scholarship.
• The newly designated classical languages (Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit) join the existing six: Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia.
• Tamil was the first language to be accorded Classical Language status in 2004, marking the inception of this category by the Government of India.
• Benefits of Classical Language status include the establishment of Centres of Excellence, international awards for scholars, and Professional Chairs in Central Universities.
• The criteria for a language to be declared classical include high antiquity of its early texts (1500-2000 years) and a body of ancient literature considered a valuable heritage.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Classical Language Status: A designation by the Government of India for languages with high antiquity, rich literary heritage, and distinct traditions, aimed at their promotion and preservation.
• Centres of Excellence: Specialized institutions established to foster advanced research, documentation, and academic engagement in specific fields, in this case, classical languages.
• Linguistic and Literary Heritage: The collective body of languages, texts, and oral traditions passed down through generations, representing a community's cultural identity and history.