New Delhi [India], October 4 : The Ministry of Education has approved the establishment of five Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for studies in Classical Assamese, Classical Bengali, Classical Marathi, Classical Pali and Classical Prakrit.
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 the Classical Languages.
The Ministry has designated five Higher Educational Institutions across different states to house these centres:
Classical Assamese: Tezpur University, Assam. Classical Bengali: Visva-Bharati University, West Bengal.Classical Marathi: Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed to be University), Pune, Maharashtra. Classical Pali: Central University of Odisha, Odisha. Classical Prakrit: Central University of Gujarat, Gujarat
The establishment of these five Centres marks a significant step towards strengthening the institutional ecosystem for the study, research and preservation of India’s Classical Languages.
The Centres of Excellence will focus on four broad areas. Firstly, the Centres will provide dedicated institutional platforms for advanced research, scholarly work and academic engagement in the respective Classical Languages.
Secondly, 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.
Thirdly, 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 Centres will strengthen regional ecosystems for higher education, research and scholarship in Classical Languages.
Lastly, the initiative reinforces the Government’s efforts to preserve and promote India’s rich linguistic and literary heritage while strengthening institutions of higher education as centres of research and scholarship.