Introduction of Language:

We know that India is the world’s seventh-largest country by area as well as the world's

second-most populous country. The country has a population of more than 1.3 billion

people. There are several religions practiced in the country. It consists of diverse

languages and cultures and people speaking different languages are scattered in

different parts of the country.

The languages of India may be grouped by major language families. The largest of

these families in terms of speakers is the Indo-European family, predominantly

represented in its Indo-Aryan branch (accounting for some 700 million speakers), but

also including minority languages such as Persian, Portuguese or French, and English

spoken as lingua franca. The second largest is the Dravidian family, accounting for

some 200 million speakers. Minor linguistic families include the Munda with

approximately nine million speakers, and Tibeto-Burman families with approximately six

million speakers. There is also a language isolate, the Nihali language.

There are 121 languages that are spoken by 10,000 or more people in India, which has a

population of more than 121 crores, More than 19,500 languages or dialects are spoken

in India as mother tongue, We are aware of the phrase “Unity in Diversity” since

school time. It is not only applicable to the Physiography of India but also for

the languages of India.

India uses different languages for different purposes like the language of

Union, Regional language, language of courts, and some special languages

such as Classical languages.

While Hindi is the official language of the central government in India, with English as a

provisional official sub-language, individual state legislatures can adopt any regional

language as the official language of that state. The Constitution of India recognizes 23

official languages, spoken in different parts of the country, and two official classical

languages, Sanskrit and Tamil.Individual states, whose borders are mostly drawn on

socio-linguistic lines, are free to decide their own language for internal administration

and education. In 2004, the government elevated Tamil. to the newly created official

status of "Classical Language," followed by Sanskrit in 2005

Introduction :

A classical language is a language with an independent literary tradition and a large

and ancient body of written literature.

A classical language is an ancient language with a large and extremely rich

body of ancient literature plus independent tradition that arose mostly on its

own, and not from the consequences of another tradition.

(Put the following points into smart art )

Dead language

Diglossia

Diversion

Influence

References
Background and scope : Classical languages tend to be either dead languages, or

show a high degree of diglossia, as the spoken varieties of the language diverge

further and further away from the classical written language over centuries.

With all Classical languages, other languages within their sphere of influence tend

to borrow vocabulary, and sometimes even grammar, extensively from the defining

language of the civilization.

Along with that come references to particular items of literature, history, and

religion. Thus, Arabic words frequently occur in Persian, Turkish, Hindi-Urdu,

Malay, Swahili. Greek and Latin words are regularly and easily found in English,

or Chinese words in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in classical Indian

languages

ii) A Centre of Excellence for studies in Classical Languages is set up

•iii) 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."

In a 2019 Lok Sabha reply, the Ministry of Culture listed the institutions that have

been dedicated to Classical languages.

• Sanskrit: Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi; Maharishi Sandipani Rashtriya

Ved Vidya Pratishthan, Ujjain; Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati; and Sri

Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi

• Telugu and Kannada: Centres of Excellence for Studies in the respective

languages at the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) established by the

HRD Ministry in 2011.

• Tamil: Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai

The University Grant Commission (UGC) also awards research projects for

promoting these languages. The UGC released funds worth INR 56.74 lakh in

2016-17 and INR 95.67 lakh in 2017 18, the Ministry of Culture said.

How is language Considered as a classical language: According to information

provided by the Ministry of Culture in the Rajya Sabha in February 2014, the

guidelines for declaring a language as ‘Classical’ are:

“(i) High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000

years;

(ii) A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by

generations of speakers;

(iii) The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech

community;

(iv) 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.”

● Tamil (2004)

● Sanskrit (2005)
 ● Kannada and Telegu (2008)

● Malayalam (2013)

● Odiya (2014)

Types of classical languages -

There are 6 types of classical languages in India. ( khan Afreen)

At present (2021), the Government of India recognized 6 Classical languages.

1. Tamil (First Classical language of India)

Tamil became the first classical language in 2004.

It belongs to the family of the Dravidian language.

India, Sri Lanka, and Singapore recognized Tamil as an official language. In India,
Tamil is the official language of Tamilnadu state and the Union Territory of
Puducherry.

There are more than 75 million native speakers of Tamil. However, about 69
million of them belong to India.

2. Sanskrit

After Tamil, Sanskrit got the status of the Classical language of India in 2005.

Sanskrit is the language of ancient India with a history of around 3500 years. Also,
it is an old Indo-Aryan language.
Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism. And, most of the works of Hindu
philosophy (including some texts of Jainism and Buddhism) use Sanskrit as a
language.

Surprisingly, there are only about 24,000 speakers of Sanskrit.

3. Telugu

The government of India gave the status of classical language to Kannada &
Telugu in 2008. Also, both of these belong to the Dravidian family of languages.

Telugu is the official language of the state of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and the
Union Territory of Puducherry (Yenam).

4. Kannada (2008)

In the year 2008 the government of India granted Kannada as a classical

language status.
Kannada is a Dravidian language spoken by about 50 million people or 5% of the
Indian population as either first or alternative language. It is spoken by over 37
million people or 3.7% of the population as a first language. Kannada is a
predominant language in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil
Nandu. The history of the language dates back to 450 BC and is considered one of
India's oldest surviving languages. It was declared a classical language in 2008.

5. Malayalam
Malayalam was designated as classical language in 2013.
Malayalam is a Dravidian language that is mainly spoken in the Indian states of
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. It is among the 22 scheduled languages in
India and is spoken as a first language by 34 million people .
Vazhappalli Copper plates (832 AD)
It also belongs to the Dravidian family of languages.

Malayalam is the official language of the state of Kerala and the union territory of
Puducherry (Mahe) and Lakshadweep.

6. Odia
Odia was the sixth language to be designated a classical language in 2014.
The Odia language is spoken by approximately 4.2% of the population of India, the
majority of which live in the eastern part of the country, including the state of
Odisha and West Bengal.

Importance of classical language:

Greek and Latin languages and literatures are fundamental to Western Civilization.
Latin forms the basis of the Romance languages (French, Spanish, Italian, and
others).
Knowledge of either ancient language, with their detailed and logical grammars,
makes learning any other language easier.
A classical language is a language with an independent literary tradition and a large
and ancient body of written literature.
Studying classical languages was a near-universal experience in schools just sixty
years ago.
Language is an indispensable tool, indeed a gift from God, used to bind
communities together in their common pursuit of a fully developed cultural
experience.
It is also an articulation of thought and of society’s cultural mores and values.
A corollary of this then is the serious study of language, how it impacts a
civilization and, in turn, is impacted by that same civilization, positively or
negatively.
Similarly, students of classical languages gain an appreciation for all great
literature as they are driven back to the original sources.
From their study of classical languages, students learn how to express themselves
more eloquently in language composition.
In short, they become more poetic, their vocabulary increases dramatically, as does
their knowledge of synonyms, nuances of meaning, and etymology (the origin and
history of words.
They also acquire the rhetorical ability to employ literary figures and stylistic
variation in their writing.
Students learn concepts connected with government, the legal system, medicine,
currency, astronomy, architecture, music, science, math,etc.
Another benefit which arises from classical language study is training in the
essentials of the scientific method of induction, namely, observation, comparison,
and generalization and its constant interchange with deduction.

Decline of the cultural languages:

● The English language is slowly becoming an important language because
this language has more demand and is known by most of the world.
● Students are willing to learn foriegn languages more as compared to the
classical languages, because they aspire to go to forgien places for
studying/jobs.
● Due to the emergence of new languages, there is a decline in the usage of
classical languages.
● Due to the lack of specialised teachers, students try to avoid learning
classical languages.
● Parents these days are encouraging their children to speak in English and not
their mother tongue which is also causing the decline.
● There are very few schools who are teaching classical languages, as a result
of which there are fewer students who learn the classical languages.

Present scenario:

The national education policy 2020, which was just released a few weeks ago, has
this to say about classical language education. Other traditional Indian languages
and literature, such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam oriya, are taught
alongside Sanskrit. Pali Persia and prakriti will be widely available as possibilities
in schools as well.Because for the enrichment of our children and for the
preservation of these rich languages and their artistic treasures all classical
languages are very important to promote so NEP has taken this step and added this
policy.The emphasis is on mother tongue/local language/regional language as the
medium of instruction, at least until Grade 5, but preferably until Grade 8 and
beyond, according to another section of the policy. The focus is also on
implementing the current three-language formula—English, Hindi, and a regional
language in non-Hindi-speaking states, and English, Hindi, and ‘a modern Indian
language' in Hindi-speaking regions. In addition to these three languages, classical
languages will be available. Foreign language instruction is also planned at the
secondary school level.

The proposal for grant of classical status to Marathi language is under active
consideration of the Culture Minister (Government of India).
Issue At the recently concluded 93rd edition of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi
Sahitya Sammelan, passed a resolution demanding the declaration of Marathi as a
'Classical' language.
Constitutional status :
All the Classical Languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of
India. They provide a window to our past and the civilizational values of ancient
India .

Conclusion:
The Concept of Classical Languages of India started in 2004. Initially, Tamil
became the first language, which got the status in 2004.
So far, Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia have been given the
status of classical languages. Giving the status to Marathi language is under
consideration and the Government will move forward with a positive attitude,"
The proposal for granting classical language status to Marathi is under active
consideration by Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal.
After getting the status of the classical language of India, various benefits are given
to them. These are as follows-

● Financial assistance for the opening of the center of excellence for

the study of the language.
● Also, it can give two major awards to the scholar of eminence.
 ● Central universities can have certain professional chairs for classical
languages for the scholar of eminence.

If Marathi gets the Classical language status, then it will become the 7th Classical
language. Moreover, it has around 73 million native speakers.

The criteria adopted by the government to determine the eligibility of a language

for classical status includes its recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years,
body of ancient literature
The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) unveiled a few weeks ago has to this to
say on the issue of classical language teaching: ‘In addition to Sanskrit, the
teaching of all other classical languages and literature of India, including Tamil,
Telugu. Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, will also be widely
available in schools as options.
It is very important to have classical language ‘For the enrichment of our children,
and for the preservation of these rich languages and their artistic treasures’.

The value of studying a classical language (however contentious this idea) cannot
be denied. But, to balance economic interests, which necessitates the teaching of
English and to a lesser extent, Hindi, with preserving treasures from the past is a
call not easily taken. For a shot at higher education, school education is a must.
EXAMPLE:
No doubt we have failed our literary heroes. There are eminent Marathi, Bengali
and Malayali writers, but nobody knows them beyond the geographical boundaries
of their states. Our national literary heroes are not the ones writing in our own
languages, but in English. If you have still doubt on whether such writers write
anything that would interest your modern tastes, then go grab a copy of The Bride
in the Moonlit Night and the Other Stories from the Delhi Book Fair published by
the National Book Store, which is a compilation of short stories originally written
in Odia by Manoj Das, considered a living legend. Das is often compared with the
medieval Indian master storyteller Vishnu Sharma for his unique stories and
writing style.Indian language writers are fighting a battle for survival even on their
home turf. In cases like in Hindi, while Bollywood churns out ₹ 100 crore-plus
movies month after month, there is no taker for Hindi literature. My friends from
north India tell me they have no knowledge of the contemporary Hindi writers or
about their works. The situation must be varying from state to state.
For many Indian language writers, their readers are now dispersed all across the
globe and they are finding it difficult to reach their readers beyond their borders.
E-book publication has not yet picked up in Indian language writing and online
megastores somehow have not seen an opportunity in this demand-supply gap.
Regional language books are almost absent on their virtual carts.

The government has embarked on an ambitious mission through Digital India to

connect every village and institutions through high-speed Internet across the
country. While creating the virtual network is necessary for creating a knowledge
society, our knowledge of this country will remain incomplete without awareness
of our vast literary traditions. Forcing students to learn Sanskrit is not important for
our future generation to appreciate the great heritage of this country, making it
easily available in the language he or she wants to read.