Blitz Bureau
FIVE more languages were given the status of classical language by the Union Cabinet recently. They are Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali. Six other languages- Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia- have already been given the status of classical language.
The primary states impacted by this decision include Maharashtra (Marathi), Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh (Pali and Prakrit), West Bengal (Bengali), and Assam (Assamese). The cultural and academic implications of this recognition will resonate both nationally and internationally. The states have welcomed the Cabinet decision.
To support these classical languages, the Ministry of Education will provide benefits such as National Awards for Classical Languages, the establishment of Chairs in universities, and the creation of centres dedicated to the promotion of these languages.
The major benefit of conferring classical language status to these tongues also includes employment generation. The inclusion of languages as classical language will create significant employment opportunities, particularly in academic and research fields.
Moreover, the preservation, documentation, and digitisation of ancient texts of these languages will generate jobs in archiving, translation, publishing, and digital media. The Ministry has taken various steps to promote classical languages. Three Central Universities were established in 2020 through an Act of Parliament for the promotion of the 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.
