Delhi, October 3: The Ministry of Education has approved the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Pali Language at the Central University of Odisha (CUO), Koraput.
According to a Ministry of Education, the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, has approved the establishment of five Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for studies in Classical Assamese, Classical Bengali, Classical Marathi, Classical Pali and Classical Prakrit in five different institutes in the country.
While Centre of Excellence for Classical Assamese will be established at Tezpur University in Assam, approval has been given for establishment of CoE for Classical Bengali at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal, Classical Marathi at Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed to be University), Pune in Maharashtra, Classical Pali at Central University of Odisha, Odisha and Classical Prakrit at the Central University of Gujarat, Gujarat.
The establishment of these five Centres marks a significant step towards strengthening the institutional ecosystem for the study, research and preservation of India’s Classical Languages, said the Ministry.
According to the Ministry, the centre of Excellence will focus on four broad areas.
1. Strengthening academic research and scholarship:The Centres will provide dedicated institutional platforms for advanced research, scholarly work and academic engagement in the respective Classical Languages.
2. Preservation and digitisation:The Centres will support the documentation, preservation and digitisation of linguistic and literary resources, contributing to the long-term conservation of India’s rich textual heritage.
3. Wider dissemination of Classical Language heritage:The Centres will facilitate wider access to and dissemination of linguistic, literary and knowledge traditions associated with the respective Classical Languages.
4. Strengthening regional academic ecosystems:Located across five States - Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha and Gujarat, the Centres will strengthen regional ecosystems for higher education, research and scholarship in Classical Languages.
The initiative reinforces the Government’s efforts to preserve and promote India’s rich linguistic and literary heritage while strengthening institutions of higher education as centres of research and scholarship, said the Ministry.
