Classical languages: Education Ministry approves 5 Centres of Excellence
Why in the news
The Ministry of Education (Department of Higher Education) announced on 3 October 2026 that it has approved five Centres of Excellence for the study of classical languages, one for each of the five languages recognised as classical in 2024.
Key facts
| Classical language | Institution | State |
|---|---|---|
| Assamese | Tezpur University | Assam |
| Bengali | Visva-Bharati University | West Bengal |
| Marathi | Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute | Maharashtra |
| Pali | Central University of Odisha | Odisha |
| Prakrit | Central University of Gujarat | Gujarat |
- Aim: promote research, conservation, digitisation and wider dissemination of India’s linguistic and literary heritage.
- Focus areas: stronger academic research, documentation and preservation of language resources, and better public access to classical traditions.
- The centres are also expected to strengthen the higher education ecosystem in the five states.
About classical languages
- Tamil was the first language declared classical, in October 2004.
- The earlier six classical languages were Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia.
- In October 2024 the Union Cabinet added Marathi, Bengali, Pali, Prakrit and Assamese, raising the total to 11.
Exam angle
- Match each language with its host institution and state.
- Remember the count (11) and the five languages added in 2024.
- Tamil (2004) was the first classical language.