Classical Language Status
Context:
As of October 2025, a total of 11 Indian languages hold the status of Classical Language
Criteria for "Classical" Status
Ministry of Culture has established the following criteria for designating a language as Classical: -
High antiquity of its early texts or recorded history, spanning a period of 1,500-2,000 years
A body of ancient literature or texts that is considered heritage by generations of speakers
Knowledge texts, especially prose texts, in addition to poetry, epigraphical and inscriptional evidence
The classical language and its literature may be distinct from its current form or show discontinuity with later forms derived from it.
Recognised Classical Languages
A total of 11 languages have been granted the status:
Original Six (2004-2014):
Tamil (2004)
Sanskrit (2005)
Kannada (2008)
Telugu (2008)
Malayalam (2013)
Odia (2014)
New Additions in 2024:
Marathi
Pali
Prakrit
Assamese
Bengali
Promotion of Classical Languages
Promotion is done through the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) which is a part of the Ministry of Education
Special centres have been established, such as the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (Chennai)
Centres for Excellence in Classical Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia have been established under the CIIL in Mysuru
Three Central Sanskrit Universities were also established in 2020.