The Ministry of Education approves the establishment of five centers of excellence in classical languages

The Education Ministry has approved the setting up of five centers of excellence for the study of classical Assamese, Bengali, Pali, Marathi and Prakrit, officials said on Saturday (Oct 3, 2026).

The five centers will be set up to strengthen academic research, digitization, preservation and dissemination of the heritage of these classical languages, they said.

“A proud moment for Odisha and a significant step towards preserving India’s rich linguistic heritage. The Ministry of Education’s approval of the Center of Excellence for Classical Pali at Odisha Central University will enhance the study, preservation and promotion of Pali, a language deeply connected to India’s intellectual, spiritual and cultural traditions,” Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi said in a statement at the XIX.

“This center will further strengthen Odisha’s contribution to the preservation of India’s civilizational knowledge and linguistic heritage. I congratulate the Central University of Odisha and all those associated with this important initiative,” he added.

The five universities where centers of excellence will be set up include Tezpur University (Assamese), Visva Bharati University (Bengali), Central University of Odisha (Pali), Central University of Gujarat (Prakrit), Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute in Pune (Marathi).

Published – October 3, 2026 1:25 PM IST