Money Spent on Promotion of Classical Language

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT 

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

LOK SABHA 

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4677 

ANSWERED ON 23.3.2020

Money Spent on Promotion of Classical Language 

SHRI DAYANIDHI MARAN

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) the total funds spent on the promotion of Classical Languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Odia during the last three years, year-wise, language-wise;

(b) the different ways the above languages are promoted along with the details of various activities undertaken language-wise, year-wise and State-wise;

(c) the number of persons speaking/having the above languages as their mother tongue, language-wise;

(d) the basis on which funds are allocated for each language;

(e) the reasons for the huge difference in the funds allocated for the promotion of Sanskrit vis- a-vis other Classical Languages; and

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(f) the justification for the huge allocation only for the promotion of Sanskrit while ignoring the other Classical Languages?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT 

(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)

(a) to (f) The policy of the Government is to promote all Indian Languages including Classical Languages. Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) works for the promotion of all Indian languages including four classical languages viz. Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Odia. There is a separate institute namely Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) which works for the development and promotion of Classical Tamil. The Government of India is promoting the Sanskrit Language through three Deemed  Universities. Funds are provided to these deemed universities for teaching and research in Sanskrit language leading to award of degree, diploma, certificate to students and no separate funds are provided for undertaking any work related to classical aspect of Sanskrit. No funds have so far been provided for promotion of Classical Malayalam and Classical Odia as Centres for these languages, though approved, are yet to establish.

Details of grants released / allocated during the last three years for the promotion of remaining three Classical Languages are as under:-

(Rs. in crore)

No.	Classical Language	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19
1.	Kannada	0.91	0.92	0.92
2.	Telugu	1.00	1.00	0.99
3.	Tamil	5.02	10.27	5.45

Classical languages are promoted on several counts including promoting research on old manuscripts, knowledge texts, their interpretation, digitization and publication, etc.

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Classical languages are by default ancient languages having a history of around 1500 years or more. Being dynamic entities, languages keep on changing over time. Census of India also does not enumerate such data as informed by Central Institute of Indian Language (CIIL). The funds are allocated to Centres for Classical languages based on their needs and requirements.