Guwahati: Tezpur University will host the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Assamese, following the conferment of classical language status on Assamese in 2024.The decision was announced through an office memorandum issued by the language division of the department of higher education under Union education ministry. Four other institutions have been selected to host centres dedicated to the study of Classical Bengali, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit.Visva-Bharati University will host the Centre of Excellence for Classical Bengali, while Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute in Pune has been selected for Classical Marathi. Central University of Odisha will host the centre for Classical Pali and Central University of Gujarat the centre for Classical Prakrit.Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma described the decision as “a proud moment for Assamese people in Assam, across India and around the world.”“After Assamese was accorded the status of a Classical Language, we had been pursuing the establishment of a dedicated centre for its study with the Government of India. I am delighted to share that the Centre has approved the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Assamese at Tezpur University,” Sarma said in a social media post on Friday night.The CM said the centre would strengthen research, digitisation, preservation and dissemination of Assamese linguistic and literary heritage. He also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union education minister Pralhad Joshi.The five languages — Assamese, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit and Bengali — were granted classical language status by Union Cabinet in 2024. The classical language category was introduced in 2004, with Tamil becoming the first language to receive the distinction. Sanskrit was accorded the status in 2005.The proposed centres will focus on academic research, digitisation, preservation and dissemination of the heritage of the respective classical languages.Tezpur University’s Centre of Excellence will build on the institution’s more than a decade of work in Assamese language, literature and culture. Established in 2011, its Centre for Assamese Studies undertook a major digitisation project covering around 4,000 old Assamese manuscripts and printed books. The collection includes rare sanchi-paat manuscripts, early editions of important literary works, personal diaries and handwritten manuscripts of prominent literary and cultural figures.The university’s department of Assamese, established in 2019, subsequently integrated the facilities of the Centre for Assamese Studies.According to a university release, the new centre will provide an institutional platform to consolidate these academic strengths and expand research into the classical dimensions of Assamese language and literature. Its work will draw on the university’s existing expertise in manuscript studies, textual criticism, digitisation, archival preservation, research, translation and dissemination.Tezpur University pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Amarendra Kumar Das congratulated the university community and thanked Union ministry of education for selecting the institution to host the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Assamese.
