With reference to the Centres of Excellence for classical languages, consider the following statements: 1. The Ministry of Education approved a total of seven specific institutions for this initiative. 2. The initiative covers five languages including Classical Assamese, Bengali, Pali, Marathi, and Prakrit. 3. The initiative focuses on linguistic heritage preservation and digitisation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The Ministry of Education approved five Centres of Excellence for Classical Assamese, Bengali, Pali

GS2Polity · Governance · IR· Government policies & schemes· Prelims + Mains· 3 October 2026

Linguistic heritage preservation and digitisation: a GS2 Governance and Culture case study.

Why in news

The Ministry of Education approved five Centres of Excellence to strengthen the research, digitisation, and preservation of Classical Assamese, Bengali, Pali, Marathi, and Prakrit.

Background

The Ministry of Education approved five specific institutions: Tezpur University, Visva Bharati University, Central University of Odisha, Central University of Gujarat, and Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute. The initiative focuses on linguistic heritage preservation and digitisation.

Facts for Prelims

BodyTezpur University, Visva Bharati University, Central University of Odisha, Central University of Gujarat, and Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute are the designated centres.
FactThe initiative covers five specific languages: Classical Assamese, Bengali, Pali, Marathi, and Prakrit.
PostThe initiative was praised by Mohan Charan Majhi.

Prelims practice question

With reference to the Centres of Excellence for classical languages, consider the following statements:

The Ministry of Education approved a total of seven specific institutions for this initiative.
The initiative covers five languages including Classical Assamese, Bengali, Pali, Marathi, and Prakrit.
The initiative focuses on linguistic heritage preservation and digitisation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)1 only
(b)1 and 2 only
(c)2 and 3 only
(d)1, 2 and 3

Show answer

Answer: (c) 2 and 3 only — Statements 2 and 3 are correct. Statement 1 is incorrect: The Ministry approved five specific institutions.

For Mains

Q. Discuss the significance of establishing Centres of Excellence in preserving and digitising India's linguistic heritage in the era of rapid technological advancement.

Dimensions to cover in your answer

Digital preservation: Mitigating the risk of linguistic erosion through systematic digitisation of ancient manuscripts
Academic research: Strengthening the scholarly framework for classical languages to support multi-disciplinary heritage studies

Keywords: Linguistic heritage · Digitisation · Cultural preservation · Research infrastructure · Classical languages

Read the full news →Source: The Hindu ↗Also: GS1 · Art, architecture & culture

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This note is generated automatically from SatyaDheesh's news feed and mapped to the UPSC CSE syllabus. Check facts against the original report or PIB before using them in an answer.