Classical Language Centres
India Approves Five New Centres to Advance Research and Preservation of Classical Languages
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Key Points
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Pali is closely associated with India’s Buddhist literature, philosophy and intellectual traditions, giving the new centre a specific role in studying Buddhist heritage.
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The Pali centre’s location in Odisha is notable because the state has a rich Buddhist archaeological and cultural heritage, including the ancient sites of Ratnagiri, Udayagiri and Lalitgiri.
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The Ministry said the centres are also intended to strengthen regional academic ecosystems and provide dedicated institutional platforms for scholarly work and academic engagement.
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The Central University of Odisha centre is specified as being in Sunabeda, while the Central University of Gujarat’s Prakrit centre is in Kundhela, Vadodara.
India's Ministry of Education approved five new Centres of Excellence to study and preserve classical languages across the country. The centres will focus on Classical Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali, and Prakrit — all granted classical-language status in 2024 ANI News. Each centre will be based at a different university, with research teams working on preservation, digitization, and wider public access to these ancient languages.
The new centres aim to strengthen regional academic ecosystems and create dedicated platforms for scholarly work Morunng Express. They represent India's commitment to protecting its linguistic heritage and supporting Buddhist studies, philosophy, and intellectual traditions tied to these languages.
Five Universities Get Classical Language Centers
Tezpur University in Assam will host the Classical Assamese centre. Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal will manage the Bengali centre. Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute in Pune will oversee the Marathi centre Organiser. The Central University of Odisha in Sunabeda will run the Pali centre, while the Central University of Gujarat in Kundhela, Vadodara will lead the Prakrit centre.
Pali Centre Builds on Odisha's Buddhist Heritage
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi welcomed the Pali centre approval, saying it will strengthen the state's role in preserving India's linguistic and intellectual heritage News18. Pali is deeply connected to Buddhist literature, philosophy, and ancient texts that shaped Indian thought.
Odisha's location makes it ideal for this work. The state contains major Buddhist archaeological sites including Ratnagiri, Udayagiri, and Lalitgiri OMM Com News. These ancient sites provide direct connections to the Buddhist traditions that Pali literature preserves, creating a rich foundation for research and teaching.
Digitization and Public Access Are Key Goals
Beyond academic research, the centres will work on digitizing classical texts and making them available to wider audiences ANI News. This effort aims to prevent the loss of rare manuscripts and ensure future generations can access these languages and literatures.
The centres will also support teaching and scholarly engagement across their regions. By giving each classical language a dedicated institutional home, India is creating hubs where students and researchers can specialize in areas that might otherwise lack formal academic support.
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