Previous Year Question
Consider the following languages:
Gujarati
Kannada
Telugu
Which of the above has/have been declared as ‘Classical Language/Languages’ by the Government?
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Both Kannada and Telugu were granted Classical Language status by the Government of India in 2008. Gujarati does not possess Classical Language status. Therefore, Statements 2 and 3 are correct.
Tamil was the first language in India to receive Classical Language status in 2004. It was followed by Sanskrit in 2005, Kannada and Telugu in 2008, Malayalam in 2013 and Odia in 2014.
Present position: On 3 October 2024, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali were also approved for Classical Language status. This increased the total number of Classical Languages in India to 11. Gujarati is still not included in this list.
The present principal criteria prescribed by the Government of India include:
High antiquity of the language’s early texts or recorded history extending over 1,500–2,000 years.
A body of ancient literature or texts considered a heritage by generations of its speakers.
The availability of knowledge texts along with prose, poetry, epigraphic and inscriptional evidence.
The Classical Language and its literature may be distinct from their present form or later offshoots.
Therefore, the correct answer is (c) 2 and 3 only.