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Source- This post on the Centre to Revise Classical Language Status Criteria has been created based on the article “Centre set to tweak criteria for according classical language status” published in “The Hindu” on 9 July 2024.
Why in the news?
The Union government plans to revise the criteria for granting classical language status.
Current criteria for Declaring a Language as Classical
i) Antiquity: The language must have early texts or recorded history spanning 1500-2000 years.
ii) Literary Heritage: The language should have a body of ancient literature or texts considered valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
iii) Original Literary Tradition: The literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
iv) Distinctiveness: The classical language and its literature should be distinct from the modern form, and there may be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or offshoots.
Languages with Classical Status: Tamil declared in 2004, Sanskrit declared in 2005, Kannada declared in 2008, Telugu declared in 2008, Malayalam declared in 2013 and Odia declared in 2014.
Benefits of Classical Language Status
i) Awards: Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in classical Indian languages.
ii) Centres of Excellence: Establishment of a Centre of Excellence for studies in Classical Languages.
iii) Academic Support: The University Grants Commission is requested to create a certain number of Professional Chairs for the Classical Languages, at least in the Central Universities.
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