Mumbai, Oct 2 — Following the landmark decision to grant Classical Language status to Marathi, the Central government on Friday officially approved the establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Marathi Language at the historic Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute in Pune.
The approval clears the way for substantial Central funding and dedicated research infrastructure aimed at preserving and promoting the language's rich heritage.
It also facilitates the creation of professorial chairs for Marathi studies in major Central Universities.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Minister for Marathi Language Uday Samant hailed the Centre’s decision.
In a statement, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said: “I am overjoyed to share that the Central Government has approved our demand to establish the Centre of Excellence at Deccan College.”
He said the state government had already initiated the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and added that, with the approval, the path was now clear to submit the DPR and secure the necessary Central funding.
Fadnavis further said that, coming on the eve of Classical Marathi Language Day, the decision filled the people of Maharashtra and Marathi speakers across the world with immense pride.
Minister for Marathi Language Uday Samant described the approval as “a pivotal step towards preserving Marathi language, literature, history and culture”.
He said a detailed DPR prepared by experts would ensure significant Central support for diverse research and preservation projects.
“This centre will give a brand-new direction to academic studies in Marathi,” Samant added.
Pune's Deccan College, one of India's oldest heritage institutions renowned for linguistics and archaeology, will host the new specialised research centre.
The state's Detailed Project Report, drafted by subject experts, will now be formally submitted to secure dedicated funding from the Central Government.
The centre will lead initiatives in historical linguistics, digitisation of ancient texts, literary preservation and cultural research, according to a government release.
The Centre’s decision follows the grant of Classical Language status to Marathi on Oct 3, 2024.
The decision was approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.