Union Cabinet gives nod to confer Classical language status to Bengali, Assamese and 3 other
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved to confer the status of Classical Language to Bengali, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit and Assamese languages.
The Prime Minister has lauded the Cabinet Decision to confer Classical Language status to Bengali, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit and Assamese languages.
The Prime Minister posted on X:
“I am very happy that the great Bengali language has been conferred the status of a Classical Language, especially during the auspicious time of Durga Puja. Bengali literature has inspired countless people for years. I congratulate all the Bengali speakers all over the world on this.”
PM Modi also congratulated Assamese and Marathi people. He also wrote, “Pali and Prakrit are at the root of India's culture. These are languages of spirituality, wisdom and philosophy. They are also known for their literary traditions. Their recognition as Classical Languages honours their timeless influence on Indian thought, culture and history.
I am confident that after the Cabinet decision on recognising them as Classical Languages, more people will be motivated to learn about them. This is indeed a joyous moment!”
The Classical Languages serve as a custodian of Bharat’s profound and ancient cultural heritage, embodying the essence of each community’s historical and cultural milestone.
The Government decided to create a new category of languages as “Classical Languages” on October 12, 2004 declaring Tamil as Classical Language and setting criteria for attaining the status of Classical Language.
A Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC) was constituted by the Ministry of Culture under Sahitya Akademi in Nov 2004 to examine the proposed languages for the status of Classical Language.
The 2004 criteria were revised in Nov 2005 as following, and Sanskrit was declared as Classical Language:
(I). High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years. (II) A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers. (III) The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community. (IV) The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
Proposal from Bihar, Assam, West Bengal was also received for conferring status of Classical Language to Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali. The Ministry of Education has taken various steps to promote Classical Languages.
Three Central Universities were established in 2020 through an Act of Parliament for promotion of Sanskrit language. To further enhance the study and preservation of Classical Languages, the Centres for Excellence for studies in Classical Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia were established under the auspices of the Central Institute of Indian Languages in Mysuru.
In addition to these initiatives, several national and international awards have been instituted to recognize and encourage achievements in the field of Classical Languages. Benefits extended to Classical Languages by the Ministry of Education include National Awards for Classical Languages, Chairs in Universities, and Centers for promotion of Classical Languages.
The inclusion of languages as Classical Language will create significant employment opportunities, particularly in academic and research fields. Additionally, the preservation, documentation, and digitization of ancient texts of these languages will generate jobs in archiving, translation, publishing, and digital media. (Edited)
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