Why
in News?
Government recognition of new classical language India-
The Union Cabinet chaired by the
Prime Minister has approved to confer the status of 5 New Classical Language to Marathi, Pali,
Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali languages.
What is Classical Languages?
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.
Background
of Classical Languages:
The
Government of India decided to create a new category of languages as
“Classical Languages” on 12th October 2004 declaring Tamil as
first a Classical Language and setting following as criteria for the status
of Classical Language:
A.
High Antiquity of its early texts/
recorded history over a thousand years.
B.
A body of ancient literature/
texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generation of speakers.
C.
The literary tradition must be
original and not borrowed from another speech community.
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
criteria were revised in Nov 2005 as following, and Sanskrit was
declared as Classical Language:
1. High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a
period of 1500-2000 years.
2. A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a
valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
3. The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from
another speech community.
4. 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.
List of Classical Languages:
Currently, there are eleven
languages that enjoy the ‘Classical’ status in India:
1. Tamil (declared in 2004)
2. Sanskrit (declared in 2005)
3. Kannada (declared in 2008)
4. Telugu (declared in 2008)
5. Malayalam (declared in 2013)
6. Odia (declared in 2014)
7. Marathi (declared in 2024)
8. Pali (declared in 2024)
9. Prakrit (declared in 2024)
10. Assamese (declared in 2024)
11. Bengali (declared in 2024)
Accordingly, Linguistics Experts
Committee (under Sahitya Akademi) in a meeting on 25.07.2024, unanimously
revised the criteria as below. Sahitya Akademi has been appointed as nodal
agency for the LEC.
1. High antiquity of (its) is early
texts/recorded history over a period of 1500- 2000 years.
2. A body of ancient literature/texts,
which is considered a heritage by generations of speakers.
3. Knowledge texts, especially prose
texts in addition to poetry, epigraphical and inscriptional evidence.
4. The Classical Languages and
literature could be distinct from its current form or could be discontinuous
with later forms of its offshoots.
The
committee also recommended following languages to be fulfilling revised
criteria to be considered as a Classical Language. New Classical Language of India 2024-
I.
Marathi
II.
Pali
III.
Prakrit
IV.
Assamese
V.
Bengali
Implementation strategy and targets:
- 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. - The Central Institute of Classical
Tamil was set up to facilitate the translation of ancient Tamil texts, promote
research and offer courses for University students and language scholars of
Tamil. - 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.
Benefits:
- The
inclusion of languages as Classical Language will create significant employment
opportunities, particularly in academic and research fields. - The preservation, documentation,
and digitization of ancient texts of these languages will generate jobs in
archiving, translation, publishing, and digital media. - Two major
annual international awards for scholars of eminence in classical Indian
languages are given. - A Centre of excellence for studies in
Classical Languages is set up. e.g. Centre of excellence for studies in Telugu
and Kannada at the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) established by
HRD Ministry in 2011. - The University Grant Commission (UGC) awards
research projects for promoting these languages and create a certain number of
Professional Chairs for the Classical Languages in the Central Universities. - The UGC also awards research projects
for promoting these languages. - Under National Education Policy 2020
(NEP 2020), all Classical Languages will be widely available in Schools as
options.
List of classical languages in India covered States/districts:
The
primary states involved these languages. The broader cultural and academic
impact will extend nationally and internationally.
|
Sr. No. |
Classical Languages |
Declaration |
Regions |
|
1. |
Tamil |
2004 |
Tamil Nadu |
|
2. |
Sanskrit |
2005 |
|
|
3. |
Telugu |
2008 |
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
|
4. |
Kannada |
2008 |
Karnataka |
|
5. |
Malayalam |
2013 |
Kerala |
|
6. |
Odia |
2014 |
Odisha |
|
7. |
Marathi |
2024 |
Maharashtra |
|
8. |
Pali |
2024 |
Bihar, UP & MP |
|
9. |
Prakriti |
2024 |
Bihar, UP & MP |
|
10. |
Bengali |
2024 |
West Bengal |
|
11. |
Assamese |
2024 |
Asam |