NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet gave its approval to grant classical language status to five Indian languages: Marathi , Pali , Prakrit , Assamese , and Bengali , announced union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday.
"PM Modi has always focused on Indian languages... Today, 5 languages Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali have been approved as classical languages," said Vaishnaw. He then added, "By now, we had Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia were the notified classical languages... The government is taking many steps to conserve and promote the classical languages and to preserve the rich heritage of these languages.."
"The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved to confer the status of Classical Language to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali 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," said the government in a press release.
"The primary states involved are Maharashtra (Marathi), Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (Pali and Prakrit), West Bengal (Bengali), and Assam (Assamese). The broader cultural and academic impact will extend nationally and internationally," it added to its statement.
With this, the number of classical languages will nearly double from 6 to 11. The government first introduced the "Classical Languages" category on October 12, 2004, when Tamil was declared the first Classical Language, followed by Sanskrit in 2005.Other languages included Kannada and Telugu declared in 2008, Malayalam declared in 2013 while Odia given the tag in 2014.
The criteria for a classical language include an ancient history and literary tradition spanning 1500-2000 years, with a significant body of ancient texts that are still valued today. The language must have an independent and distinguished literary heritage, not derived from another language. Additionally, there may be a discontinuity between the classical language and its modern forms or offshoots, as the classical language and literature remain distinct from their later evolutions.
"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," said the cabinet in a statement.
Once a language is designated as a Classical language, the government offers several benefits to promote its study. These include two annual international awards for scholars excelling in classical Indian languages. Additionally, a Centre of Excellence is established for studies in the Classical Language, and the University Grants Commission is encouraged to create Professional Chairs in Central Universities to support and advance research and education in these languages.
"PM Modi has always focused on Indian languages... Today, 5 languages Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali have been approved as classical languages," said Vaishnaw. He then added, "By now, we had Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia were the notified classical languages... The government is taking many steps to conserve and promote the classical languages and to preserve the rich heritage of these languages.."
"The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved to confer the status of Classical Language to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali 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," said the government in a press release.
"The primary states involved are Maharashtra (Marathi), Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (Pali and Prakrit), West Bengal (Bengali), and Assam (Assamese). The broader cultural and academic impact will extend nationally and internationally," it added to its statement.
With this, the number of classical languages will nearly double from 6 to 11. The government first introduced the "Classical Languages" category on October 12, 2004, when Tamil was declared the first Classical Language, followed by Sanskrit in 2005.Other languages included Kannada and Telugu declared in 2008, Malayalam declared in 2013 while Odia given the tag in 2014.
The criteria for a classical language include an ancient history and literary tradition spanning 1500-2000 years, with a significant body of ancient texts that are still valued today. The language must have an independent and distinguished literary heritage, not derived from another language. Additionally, there may be a discontinuity between the classical language and its modern forms or offshoots, as the classical language and literature remain distinct from their later evolutions.
"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," said the cabinet in a statement.
Once a language is designated as a Classical language, the government offers several benefits to promote its study. These include two annual international awards for scholars excelling in classical Indian languages. Additionally, a Centre of Excellence is established for studies in the Classical Language, and the University Grants Commission is encouraged to create Professional Chairs in Central Universities to support and advance research and education in these languages.
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