Question

Among the following languages, which has/have been declared as 'Classical Language/Languages' by the Indian Government?

1. Malayalam

2. Kannada

3. Telugu

4. Tamil

1. 1 and 4 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 2, 3 and 4 only
4. All of the above

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : All of the above

The correct answer is Option 4.

• The Ministry of Culture provides the necessary guidelines regarding languages that are to be treated as Classical languages.
• There are six languages that have the ‘Classical’ status in India.
• They are:​
  • Tamil (declared in 2004),
  • Sanskrit (2005),
  • Kannada (in 2008),
  • Telugu (2008),
  • Malayalam (2013), and
  • Odia (2014).
• Hence, option 4 is correct.
• ​All these Classical Languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

• Parameters for declaring a language as ‘Classical language’ are:
  • The literary source of the language should be original and not be borrowed or influenced or originated from another speech.
  • The recorded history of its earliest texts should be more than 1500 to 2000 years.
  • It must have a body of ancient literature/ texts.