Marathi, Bengali among 5 new classical languages approved by Cabinet

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the conferral of classical language status to five Indian languages: Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali. The decision, taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to recognise and preserve India's rich linguistic heritage.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hailed the move as a landmark decision aligned with the government’s commitment to celebrating India's cultural diversity and heritage. "This goes very well with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government's philosophy of taking pride in our culture, our heritage, and all Indian languages," he stated during a cabinet briefing.

The inclusion of Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali in the prestigious classical language category is expected to generate substantial employment opportunities, particularly in the academic and research sectors. The government highlighted that the move would promote preservation, documentation, and digitization efforts for ancient texts, potentially creating jobs in fields such as archiving, translation, publishing, and digital media.

The languages primarily represent different regions of India: Marathi (Maharashtra), Pali and Prakrit (Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh), Bengali (West Bengal), and Assamese (Assam). However, the cultural and academic significance of this recognition will extend nationally and internationally, fostering greater appreciation and study of these languages.

The idea of establishing a category for classical languages was first introduced on October 12, 2004, when Tamil was declared the inaugural classical language. The status was later extended to Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia. To qualify as a classical language, a language must meet criteria including having ancient texts or a recorded history over 1,000 years, possessing a rich body of literature valued across generations, and having an independent literary tradition.

Marathi’s inclusion has been a matter of discussion for years. In 2013, the Maharashtra government submitted a proposal to the Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC) under the Ministry of Culture, requesting that Marathi be recognized as a classical language. After thorough evaluation, the LEC recommended Marathi for this status. With Maharashtra set to hold assembly elections soon, this decision has significant political importance in the state.

Proposals to grant classical language status to Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali were also submitted by Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal. Following extensive consultations, the LEC revised its criteria in 2024, recommending all five languages for inclusion based on their historical and cultural significance.

The Ministry of Education has already established various institutions to support the promotion and study of classical languages. In 2020, three central universities were created to promote Sanskrit, and the Central Institute of Classical Tamil was established to translate ancient Tamil texts, promote research, and offer courses for scholars.

Centres of Excellence for Classical Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia have also been established under the Central Institute of Indian Languages in Mysuru, reflecting the government's broader commitment to fostering India's classical linguistic heritage.

With the recent inclusion of Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali, the classical language framework continues to expand, opening new avenues for research, cultural preservation, and academic growth.