Criteria for Classical Language in India

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Languages in India Criteria for Classical
Language in India In the year 2004, it was
decided by the Government of India to declare
Indian Languages meeting certain requirements as
Classical language and Tamil was declared as a
Classical Language by the Government of India in
June 2004.

• Sanskrit is already having a special status in
  India under Article 351 and Sanskrit was
  declared as a classical language in the year
  2005.
• Classification of Indian Languages
• The Indian languages belong to major 6 language
  families
• Indo-Aryan Group
• Dravidian Group

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• Sino-Tibetian Group
• Negroid
• Austic (Mon-Khmer)
• Others
• Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages are used by a
  large
• majority of Indias population. The language
  families divide roughly into geographic groups.
• Languages of the Indo-Aryan group are spoken
  mainly in Northern and Central regions.
• The languages of Southern India are mainly of the
  Dravidian group.
• Some ethnic groups in Assam and other parts of
  Eastern
• India speak languages of Mon-Khmer group.
• People in the Northern Himalayan region and near
  the Burmese border speak Sino-Tibetan languages.
• Speakers of 54 different languages of Indo-Aryan
  family make up about three-quarters of Indias
  population.
• Twenty Dravidian languages are spoken by nearly a
  quarter of the people.
• Speakers of 20 Mon-Khmer language and 98 Sino-
  Tibetan languages together make up about 2 per
  cent of
• the population.
• Criteria for Classical languages in India
• In the year 2006, the Government of India
  declared that the following are the criteria to
  determine the eligibility of languages to be
  considered and declared as classical languages

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• 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 valuable heritage by generations of
  speakers.
• The literary tradition is original and not
  borrowed from another speech community.
• The classical language and literature being
  distinct from modern, there may also be a
  discontinuity between the classical language and
  its later forms or its offshoots.
• Currently six languages enjoy the status of
  Classical languages in India
• Tamil (2004)
• Sanskrit (2005)
• Kannada and Telegu (2008)
• Malayalam (2013)
• Odiya (2014)
• What are the benefits enjoyed by the Classical
  languages?
• Once the status of Classical language is given to
  the language, then the following benefits are
  accredited to the language
• Two major annual international awards for
  scholars of eminence in classical Indian
  languages.
• A Centre of Excellence for studies in Classical
  Languages is set up.
• The University Grants Commission is requested to
• create, to start with at least in the Central
  Universities, a
• certain number of Professional Chairs for the
  Classical Languages so declared.

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