Education Ministry approves setting up of five Centres of Excellence in classical languages
The Indian Ministry of Education has approved the establishment of five Centres of Excellence to promote and preserve classical languages including Assamese, Bengali, Pali, Marathi, and Prakrit. These centers will be hosted at various central universities to support academic research and heritage digitization.
Why it matters
This initiative represents a significant government investment in cultural preservation and linguistic research within India's academic institutions.
The Ministry of Education has approved setting up of five Centres of Excellence for studies in Classical Assamese, Bengali, Pali, Marathi, and Prakrit, officials said on Saturday (October 3, 2026).
The five centres will be set up to strengthen academic research, digitisation, preservation, and dissemination of heritage of these classical languages, they said.
"A proud moment for Odisha and a significant step towards preserving India's rich linguistic heritage. The Ministry of Education's approval of a Centre of Excellence for Classical Pali at the Central University of Odisha will strengthen the study, preservation, and promotion of Pali, a language deeply connected with India's intellectual, spiritual, and cultural traditions," Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said in a post on X.
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