In the year 2004, it was decided by the Government of India to declare Indian Languages meeting certain requirements as "Classical language” and Tamil was declared as a Classical Language by the Government of India in June 2004.

Sanskrit is already having a special status in India under Article 351 and Sanskrit was declared as a classical language in the year 2005.

Classification of Indian Languages

The Indian languagesbelong to major 6 language families:

• Indo-Aryan Group
• Dravidian Group
• Sino-Tibetian Group
• Negroid
• Austic (Mon-Khmer)
• Others

Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages are used by a large majority of India’s population. The language families divide roughly into geographic groups.

• Languages of the Indo-Aryan group are spoken mainly in Northern and Central regions.
• The languages of Southern India are mainly of the Dravidian group.
• Some ethnic groups in Assam and other parts of Eastern India speak languages of Mon-Khmer group.
• People in the Northern Himalayan region and near the Burmese border speak Sino-Tibetan languages.
• Speakers of 54 different languages of Indo-Aryan family make up about three-quarters of India’s population.
• Twenty Dravidian languages are spoken by nearly a quarter of the people.
• Speakers of 20 Mon-Khmer language and 98 Sino-Tibetan languages together make up about 2 per cent of the population.

Criteria for Classical languages in India

In the year 2006, the Government of India declared that the following are the criteria to determine the eligibility of languages to be considered and declared as classical languages:

1. High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years.
2. A body of ancient literature/ texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
3. The literary tradition is original and not borrowed from another speech community.
4. The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.

Currently six languages enjoy the status of Classical languages in India:

• Tamil (2004)
• Sanskrit (2005)
• Kannada and Telegu (200
• Malayalam (2013)
• Odiya (2014)

What are the benefits enjoyed by the Classical languages?

Once the status of Classical language is given to the language, then the following benefits are accredited to the language:

1. Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in classical Indian languages.
2. A Centre of Excellence for studies in Classical Languages is set up.
3. The University Grants Commission is requested to create, to start with at least in the Central Universities, a certain number of Professional Chairs for the Classical Languages so declared.

Posted by: unoreads at 03:47 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 432 words, total size 5 kb.

INTRODUCTION

·The story of Indian Literature extends back over more than 5000 years.

·It includes the religious classics of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

·Apart from that, literature from the courts of Indian monarchs, oral poetry and song and modern verse and prose expressing contemporary ideas.

·Although each successive generation has added its own contribution to Indian literature the ancient texts are still influential. Until modern times, literature usually reached its audience through performance and recitation. Religious texts and stories, often of enormous length, were memorized and handed down orally from one generation to the next. So, although about half the population of Southern Asia are unable to read or write, the culture of the region is highly developed.

·Theliterature of the Indian subcontinent falls into three periods:

Ø The Ancient Period: primarily dominated by Sanskrit, lasting up to about A.D. 1000

Ø The Medieval Period: From about 1000 A.D to early 1800 (during which time the regional languages developed)

Ø The Modern Period: it is influenced by European culture.

·In the first two periods, most literature was in verse or in the form of an epigram (a short, clever poem), though prose was also used.

·In modern period, the use of prose has become fully developed.

·Indian literature has been written in many languages. Each language has made its own contribution and expressed its uniqueness.

·The literature of a particular language has its own special form, symbols and nuances. Therefore, it is more logical to say that there are as many literatures in Indiaas languages which have flowered into literature.

Join with Unoreads, the Best Educational Websites in India to explore more subjects and starts preparation for the competitive exams.

Posted by: unoreads at 03:51 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 293 words, total size 3 kb.