CLASSICAL LANGUAGE STATUS

The Central government has changed the requirements for awarding designation as a classical language in response to suggestions made by the Union Culture Ministry's Linguistics Expert Committee.

Classical Languages

• In 2004, India introduced the category of "classical languages."

• Criteria for classical language status were established in 2006, and six languages have since been recognized.

• They are: Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia.

Criteria for Classical Status:

• Antiquity: A recorded history or early texts spanning 1,500–2,000 years.

• Literary Heritage: A significant body of ancient literature valued through generations.

• Original Tradition: A distinct literary tradition not derived from other languages.

• Distinctiveness: A noticeable difference between the classical language and its modern or derivative forms.

Benefits of getting classical status:

• Financial support for establishing centers of excellence for study.

• Opportunities for major awards for distinguished scholars.

• Possibility of creating professional chairs in central universities for classical language scholars.

Recent Developments:

• The Central government is revising the criteria for classical status based on recommendations from the Linguistics Expert Committee, which includes representatives from various ministries and linguistic experts.

• The new criteria will be formalized once approved by the Union Cabinet, affecting the consideration of languages like Marathi.

• There are ongoing requests from other language groups, such as Bengali and Tulu, for classical language recognition.

• The National Education Policy 2020 also includes the preservation of works in languages like Pali, Persian, and Prakrit.

Constitutional Provisions Related to Language

Eighth Schedule:

• It was intended to promote the use of Hindi and its enrichment.

• Article 344(1): Mandates the President to establish a Commission every five years to advance the use of Hindi for Union purposes.

• Article 351: Directs the Union to promote Hindi to serve as a medium for all cultural elements of India.

Languages in the Eighth Schedule:

• The Eighth Schedule lists 22 languages:

• Initially Included: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.

Added Later:

• 1967: Sindhi (21st Amendment Act)

• 1992: Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali (71st Amendment Act)

• 2004: Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali (92nd Amendment Act)

Demands for Inclusion in the Eighth Schedule:

• There are current demands for adding 38 more languages to the Eighth Schedule.

• Notable examples include Angika, Banjara, Bazika, and Bhojpuri.

Present Status:

• The inclusion of languages is under ongoing government review, influenced by the dynamic nature of dialects and socio-economic developments.

• Decisions will be made based on the recommendations of the Pahwa Committee (1996) and the Sitakant Mohapatra Committee (2003).

Languages like Marathi, which has been vying for classical language designation for more than ten years, would be impacted by the Central government's planned revisions to the requirements. High antiquity, a remarkable reservoir of classical literature, unique literary tradition, and differentiation from contemporary forms are the requirements for a language to be classified as a classical language.