New Delhi:
The Ministry of Education has approved the establishment of five Centres of Excellence for studies in Classical Assamese, Classical Bengali, Classical Marathi, Classical Pali, and Classical Prakrit. The centres aim to strengthen academic research, digitisation, preservation, and dissemination of the heritage of these classical languages.
According to an office memorandum issued by the Ministry of Education on October 1, the Centres of Excellence will be established at the following institutions:
- Classical Assamese: Tezpur University, Assam
- Classical Bengali: Visva-Bharati University, West Bengal
- Classical Marathi: Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed to be a University), Pune, Maharashtra
- Classical Pali: Central University of Odisha, Sunabeda, Odisha
- Classical Prakrit: Central University of Gujarat, Kundhela, Vadodara, Gujarat
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi welcomed the development, describing it as a “proud moment” for the state and a significant step towards preserving India’s rich linguistic heritage.
Sharing the news on X, Majhi said the Centre of Excellence for Classical Pali would strengthen the study, preservation, and promotion of Pali, a language deeply connected with India’s intellectual, spiritual, and cultural traditions.
“This Centre will further strengthen Odisha’s contribution to preserving India’s civilisational knowledge and linguistic heritage. My congratulations to the Central University of Odisha and everyone associated with this important initiative,” the chief minister said.
A proud moment for Odisha and a significant step towards preserving India’s rich linguistic heritage.
The Ministry of Education’s approval of a Centre of Excellence for Classical Pali at the Central University of Odisha will strengthen the study, preservation and promotion of… pic.twitter.com/hNSJT31oIB
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) October 3, 2026
The office memorandum, issued by the Ministry of Education and signed by Shreyansh Mohan, Deputy Secretary to the Government of India, was addressed to the Vice-Chancellors of the respective universities and heads of the concerned institutions.
