Bhubaneswar: The Ministry of Education has approved the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Pali at the Central University of Odisha, marking a significant step towards the preservation, research and promotion of the ancient language.
The Ministry’s Department of Higher Education, Language Division, issued an Office Memorandum notifying the locations of five new Centres of Excellence dedicated to the study of classical Indian languages.
The Centre for Classical Pali will be established at the Central University of Odisha, while the other four centres will come up at institutions in Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
According to the memorandum, the five Centres of Excellence will focus on strengthening academic research, digitisation, preservation and dissemination of the heritage associated with the respective classical languages.
New Centres:
- Classical Assamese: Tezpur University, Assam
- Classical Bengali: Visva-Bharati University, West Bengal
- Classical Marathi: Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune, Maharashtra
- Classical Pali: Central University of Odisha, Odisha
- Classical Prakrit: Central University of Gujarat, Gujarat
Reacting to the development, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi described it as a proud moment for the state and an important step towards preserving India’s linguistic heritage.
Majhi said the Centre of Excellence for Classical Pali at the Central University of Odisha would strengthen the study, preservation and promotion of Pali, which has deep links with India’s intellectual, spiritual and cultural traditions. He further said the initiative would strengthen Odisha’s contribution to preserving India’s civilisational knowledge and linguistic heritage.
The Chief Minister congratulated the Central University of Odisha and all those associated with the establishment of the Centre.
The move is expected to provide an institutional platform for advanced research and documentation of Pali while contributing to the wider preservation and dissemination of India’s classical language traditions.