New Classical Languages

Why in news?

Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved to confer the status of Classical Language to five Indian languages.

What is a classical language?

• Need for classical status – To recognize the historical significance and role of the language as a guardian of Bharat’s rich cultural and intellectual heritage.
• Classical languages – They are ancient languages with independent traditions and a rich literary history that continue to influence various literary styles and philosophical texts.
• Introduction– It was first introduced in 2004 in India.

Tamil was the first language to get the Classical language status in 2004.

• Responsible authority – Earlier, it was the Ministry of Home Affairs but then the Ministry of Culture took over the responsibility since 2005 for further implementations and future recognitions.
• Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC) – It is established by the Ministry of Culture to assess future proposals for the recognition of classical languages.
  • Composition - Representatives of the Union Ministries of Home, Culture and four to five linguistic experts.
  • Chaired by - The president of the Sahitya Akademi.
• It was established the in 2004 and in 2024.
• Importance – By recognizing a language as classical, the government acknowledges their deep-rooted antiquity, vast literary traditions, and their invaluable contribution to the cultural fabric of the nation.

What are the criteria for declaring a language as classical?

• Criteria in 2004 – High antiquity of its early texts/ recorded history over a thousand years.
• A body of ancient literature/ texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generation of speakers.
• The literary tradition must be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
• Revision of criteria – It was revised two times, in 2005 and 2024, based on the recommendations of Linguistic Experts Committees (LEC).

How many languages have been declared so far?

• As of October 2024, there are totally 11 classical language in India.
• 5 languages were added in 2024.

What are the features of new classical languages?

• Prakrit - It was the vernacular of the common folk in ancient India, and the language of heterodox religions like Buddhism and Jainism.
• The term ‘Prakrit’ derived from Sanskrit word ‘prakriti’ meaning ‘source’ or ‘origin’.
  • Linguistic group - Middle Indo-Aryan languages

• Pali – It is the variant of Ardhamagadhi Prakrit.
• It was the language of Theravada Buddhist canon.
  • Linguistic group - Middle Indo-Aryan languages 
• After Theravada Buddhism declined in India, Pali survived as a religious language in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, where this Buddhist school continued to prosper.
• Marathi – It belongs to the Indo-Aryan family are derived from early forms of Prakrit.
  • Official language- In Maharashtra and UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

While Konkani is the official language of Goa, it allows Marathi to be used for official purpose sometimes.

• Assamese – It belongs to Indo-Aryan family.
  • Official language - Assam
• Bengali – It belongs to India – European language family
  • Official language - West Bengal, Tripura, Assam (Barak Valley), Jharkhand (additional official language) and Bangladesh.

What steps have been taken to promote classical languages?

• Ministry of Education has taken various steps for advancing Classical Languages.
• Establishing universities – In 2020, three Central Universities were established through an Act of Parliament to promote Sanskrit.
• The Central Institute of Classical Tamil was created to facilitate translating ancient Tamil texts, promoting research, and offering courses for university students and language scholars.
• Establishing Centres for Excellence – It was established for studies in Classical Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia under the auspices of the Central Institute of Indian Languages in Mysuru.
• It also takes steps in establishing Centers for promoting Classical Languages.
• Recognition through awards – Several national and international awards have been introduced to recognize and encourage achievements in the field of Classical Languages.
• Chairs in Universities - As UGC recommended, professional chairs in central universities were established.

What is the impact of classical language status?

• Revives intellectual and cultural identity - It encourage scholarly research, preservation, and the revitalization of ancient texts and knowledge systems.
• Promotes national integration - It instills a sense of pride and ownership among the speakers of these languages.

• Self-reliance – It aligns with the broader vision of a self-reliant and culturally rooted India.
• It will elevate their stature and will ensure their continued relevance in the modern world.
• Employment generation – It 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.

What lies ahead?

• Government shall continue providing technical and financial support for the development and preservation of language.
• Promote academic and cultural initiatives to increase public awareness and motivate more scholars to contribute language development.
• Research and document literary provision and transform to next generation.

References

1. The Indian Express| Classical Language Status to 5 New Languages
2. PIB| Status of Classical Language