The Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education has approved the establishment of five Centres of Excellence (CoEs) dedicated to the study of Classical Assamese, Classical Bengali, Classical Marathi, Classical Pali and Classical Prakrit.
The initiative is aimed at providing dedicated institutional support for advanced academic research, preservation and digitisation of linguistic and literary heritage, and wider dissemination of knowledge associated with India’s Classical Languages.
The Centre of Excellence for Classical Assamese will be established at Tezpur University in Assam, while Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal will host the Centre for Classical Bengali.
The Centre for Classical Marathi will be set up at the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed to be University) in Pune, Maharashtra. The Central University of Odisha will host the Centre for Classical Pali, while the Central University of Gujarat will establish the Centre for Classical Prakrit.
Focus on Research and Preservation
The Centres of Excellence will provide dedicated institutional platforms for advanced research, scholarly work and academic engagement in their respective Classical Languages.
A key focus will be the documentation, preservation and digitisation of linguistic and literary resources. The initiative is expected to contribute to the long-term conservation of India’s rich textual heritage while facilitating greater access to these resources for researchers, students and scholars.
The Centres will also promote wider dissemination of the linguistic, literary and knowledge traditions associated with the respective Classical Languages.
Strengthening Regional Academic Ecosystems
The five Centres will be located across Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha and Gujarat, strengthening regional ecosystems for higher education, research and scholarship in Classical Languages.
The establishment of the Centres marks a significant step towards creating a stronger institutional framework for the study, research and preservation of India’s Classical Languages.
The initiative also reinforces the Government’s efforts to preserve and promote the country’s linguistic and literary heritage while strengthening higher educational institutions as centres of research and scholarship.