New Delhi: The Education Ministry has decided to set Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for five classical languages in the country.
The objective is to strengthen the institutional ecosystem for the study, research and preservation of India’s classical languages.
A ministry release listed the five languages as Classical Assamese, Classical Bengali, Classical Marathi, Classical Pali and Classical Prakrit.
The centres will be set up at Tezpur University in Assam, Visva Bharati University in West Bengal, Deccan College Post Graduate and Research University (Deemed to be University) in Pune, Central University of Odisha and the Central University of Gujarat.
“The initiative will provide dedicated institutional support for advanced academic research, preservation and digitisation of linguistic and literary heritage, and wider dissemination of knowledge relating to these classical languages,” the release said.
The CoEs will focus on four broad areas: academic research, digitisation, dissemination of classical language heritage, and strengthening regional academic ecosystems across the five states.
In order to strengthen academic research and fellowship, the centres will provide dedicated institutional platforms for advanced research, scholarly work and academic engagement in the respective languages.
“The centres will support the documentation, preservation and digitisation of linguistic and literary resources, contributing to the long-term conservation of India’s rich textual heritage,” the release said.
The centres will facilitate wider access to and dissemination of linguistic, literary and knowledge traditions associated with the respective classical languages.
“Located across five states — Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha and Gujarat — the new centres will strengthen regional ecosystems for higher education, research and scholarship in classical languages,” the release added.