Q: Consider the following languages:
a) Gujarati
b) Kannada
c) Telugu
Which of the above has/have been declared as ‘Classical Language / Languages’ by the Government?
The Correct Answer is Option 3.
Classical Language
- Currently, there are six languages that enjoy the ‘Classical’ status in India: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014). Therefore, Gujarati is not classical language but Telugu and Kannada are classical language. Hence, Option 3 is correct.
- The Ministry of Culture provides the guidelines regarding Classical languages.
- Guidelines for declaring a language as ‘Classical’ are:
- High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years;
- A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers;
- The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community;
- 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.
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