The Ministry of Education has approved a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Classical Assamese Studies at Tezpur University, along with similar centres for Bengali, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit.

More About the New 

• Assamese was granted Classical Language status in October 2024, recognising its long literary history and contribution to India’s cultural heritage.
• The CoE will be established at Visva-Bharati University for Bengali, the Central University of Odisha for Pali, the Central University of Gujarat for Prakrit, and the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute in Pune for Marathi.

What will the Centre do?

• The Centre will provide an institutional platform for advanced research on Assamese language, literature, history and linguistic traditions.
  
• It will focus on the preservation and digitisation of manuscripts, literary works and other linguistic resources, helping protect them for future generations.
  
• The Centre will promote wider dissemination of Assamese classical heritage through academic publications, teaching, seminars and public engagement.
  
• It will strengthen the regional academic ecosystem by encouraging scholars, researchers and students to undertake specialised studies on Assamese language and literature.
  

Operates under and institutional role

• The initiative is being implemented under the broader Ministry of Education’s efforts to promote Indian languages, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, which emphasises multilingualism and preservation of India’s linguistic heritage.
• Tezpur University will serve as the institutional base for Classical Assamese studies, bringing together research, documentation, digitisation and academic scholarship.

Why is it important?

The initiative can help preserve Assam’s rich literary traditions, including Vaishnavite literature, medieval texts, oral traditions and historical manuscripts. It also creates opportunities for systematic research into the evolution of Assamese and its interaction with other languages of the region.

For Assam, the Centre can become a bridge between heritage preservation and modern scholarship, ensuring that classical knowledge remains accessible to younger generations.

Exam Hook: Key Takeaway

The Centre of Excellence at Tezpur University links Assamese Classical Language status with research, digitisation, preservation and wider dissemination of Assam’s linguistic heritage.

Prelims Practice Question

Consider the following statements:

1. Assamese was granted Classical Language status in 2024.
2. The Centre of Excellence for Classical Assamese Studies will be established at Tezpur University.
3. The National Education Policy 2020 promotes the preservation and promotion of Indian languages.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Answer: 1, 2 and 3 only.

One-line wrap: The Classical Assamese Centre at Tezpur University can transform language preservation from heritage conservation into a sustained ecosystem of research, digitisation and scholarship.