The government has approved a budget of Rs 16.97 crore for the fiscal year 2025-26 to promote and preserve 11 classical languages, as stated by Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a response to Lok Sabha on Monday.
These classical languages include Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Assamese, Bangla, Pali, and Prakrit, with Odia, Marathi, Assamese, Bangla, Pali, and Prakrit being recognized as classical languages in 2024.
Sanskrit, spoken by only 24,000 individuals, stands as the least spoken classical language, while Bangla leads with 9.72 crore speakers, according to the Census of India 2011.
Minister Shekhawat also highlighted the Gyan Bharatam initiative, part of the Ministry of Culture’s efforts, which aims to digitize and preserve India’s extensive manuscript heritage. This initiative has received a budgetary sanction of Rs 491.66 crore for the period 2025-2031, focusing on various aspects like technology, linguistics, and research.
