Ministry of Education Approves Establishment of 5 Centers of Excellence for Classical Languages

The Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, has granted approval for the establishment of five Centers of Excellence (CoE) dedicated to the study of Classical Assamese, Classical Bengali, Classical Marathi, Classical Pali, and Classical Prakrit. The primary objective of this initiative is to promote the research, preservation, digitalization, and wide dissemination of knowledge regarding India's linguistic and literary heritage.

These Centers of Excellence will be established at the following higher education institutions: 1. Classical Assamese: Tezpur University, Assam 2. Classical Bengali: Visva-Bharati University, West Bengal 3. Classical Marathi: Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed University), Pune, Maharashtra 4. Classical Pali: Central University of Odisha, Odisha 5. Classical Prakrit: Central University of Gujarat, Gujarat

The centers will focus on four key areas. First, strengthening academic research and scholarship by providing an institutional platform for advanced research and scholarly work in the respective languages. Second, the documentation, preservation, and digitalization of linguistic and literary resources to ensure the long-term security of India's textual heritage.

Third, these centers will facilitate broader access to and dissemination of the knowledge traditions and literary heritage associated with classical languages. Fourth, located across five states—Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Gujarat—these centers will strengthen the regional academic ecosystem and promote higher education and research.

This initiative is part of the government's efforts to empower higher education institutions as hubs of research and to preserve the country's rich linguistic heritage.