CLASSICAL LANGUAGES

TAG: GS-1: ART AND CULTURE & GS-2 POLITY

CONTEXT: Recently, the Union Cabinet has declared five Indian languages ​​- Marathi, Assamese, Pali, Prakrit and Bengali – as classical languages,

EXPLANATION:

Recommendations of the Linguistics Expert Committee:

  • On October 10, 2022, the Linguistics Expert Committee of the Union Culture Ministry submitted a report suggesting changes to the criteria for designating classical languages.
  • This development followed a directive from the Centre to reassess the existing rules.
  • The proposed criteria will be officially implemented following approval by the Union Cabinet and subsequent gazette notification.
  • Composition of the Committee
    • The committee includes representatives from the Union Ministries of Home and Culture, alongside four to five linguistic experts.

About Classical Language:

  • Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC) In 2004, it was constituted by the Ministry of Culture under the Sahitya Akademi.
  • Its mandate is to examine the eligibility of the languages proposed to be accorded classical language status.
  • Criteria for inclusion (instituted in 2004 and revised by LEC in 2024)
  • High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500- 2000 years.
  • A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a heritage by generations of speakers.
  • Knowledge texts, especially prose texts in addition to poetry, epigraphical and inscriptional evidence.
  • The Classical Languages and literature could be distinct from its current form or could be discontinuous with later forms of its offshoots.

Classical Languages ​​and its year of inclusion:

  • Tamil: Declared as a classical language in 2004
  • Sanskrit: Attained classical status in 2005
  • Kannada: Recognized as a classical language in 2008.
  • Telugu: Achieved classical status in 2008.
  • Malayalam: Granted classical status in 2013.
  • Odia: Received classical recognition in 2014.

Classical Language Status Criteria:

  • The recognition of a classical language is based on criteria established by a Linguistic Experts Committee.
  • According to the committee, the following revised benchmarks must be met for a language to be considered “classical”:
    • High antiquity of (its) is early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500- 2000 years.
    • body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a heritage by generations of speakers.
    • Knowledge texts, especially prose texts in addition to poetry, epigraphical and inscriptional evidence.
    • The Classical Languages and literature could be distinct from its current form or could be discontinuous with later forms of its offshoots.

New Classical languages:

  • Marathi: Earliest poetry and prose are by Gnaneshwar who wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita
  • Prakrit: It is a colloquial language. Ashoka’s inscriptions have used Prākṛt along with Pali. Gāthā Sattasai is written in prakrit
  • Pali: Buddhist philosophical works like Dhammapada and stories like Jātaka Tales are in Pali.
  • Assamese: Shankardev’s Vaishnavite poetries
  • Bengali: Poet-saints Sri Chaitanyadeva produced literary masterpieces in Bengali, and Rabindranath Tagore’s Geetanjali received Nobel Prize.

 

Source:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/assamese-bengali-marathi-among-5-to-get-classical-language-status/articleshow/113918310.cms

Spread the Word