The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India has approved the establishment of five Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for studies in Classical Languages. The centres will focus on Classical Assamese, Classical Bengali, Classical Marathi, Classical Pali, and Classical Prakrit.
The initiative aims to provide dedicated institutional support for advanced academic research, preservation and digitization of linguistic and literary heritage, and wider dissemination of knowledge relating to these classical languages. The centres will be established at Tezpur University, Assam for Classical Assamese; Visva-Bharati University, West Bengal for Classical Bengali; Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed to be University), Pune, Maharashtra for Classical Marathi; Central University of Odisha for Classical Pali; and Central University of Gujarat for Classical Prakrit.
Key focus areas include strengthening academic research and scholarship through dedicated institutional platforms, supporting documentation, preservation and digitization of linguistic and literary resources, facilitating wider access to linguistic and literary traditions, and strengthening regional academic ecosystems across five states: Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Gujarat. The initiative reinforces the government's efforts to preserve and promote India's rich linguistic and literary heritage while strengthening higher education institutions as centres of research and scholarship.