Parliament Question: Promotion of Tamil as a Classical Language

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3883 ANSWERED ON 16/03/2026 Promotion of Tamil as a Classical Language 3883. Thiru Dayanidhi Maran: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: a) the total funds allocated and utilised during the last five years for promoting the growth, research and global dissemination of Tamil as a Classical Language along with similar details for other languages as well, year-wise and scheme-wise; b) the details of grants released to the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) and other institutions for research, digitisation of manuscripts, translation projects, fellowships and organisation of international conferences on Tamil studies; c) whether the Union Government has commissioned any impact assessment to evaluate the manner in which these funds have strengthened academic research, publications, global outreach and higher education in Classical Tamil; d) the steps taken by the Government to promote Tamil language chairs abroad, digital archives and collaborations with universities to expand Tamil scholarship internationally; and e) whether the Government proposes to enhance financial support and institutional autonomy to ensure sustained growth and preservation of Tamil’s classical heritage? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (e): The Government has undertaken several initiatives for the preservation, promotion and development of Classical Tamil and other Indian languages through dedicated institutions and academic programmes. In this regard, the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai, an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Education, undertakes activities relating to research, preservation and dissemination of Classical Tamil. Further, the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru, a subordinate office under the Ministry of Education, undertakes research, documentation, propagation and teaching of Indian languages, including the classical languages. These initiatives are aligned with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes multilingualism and the promotion of Indian languages. The funds allocated for classical languages are utilised for various initiatives such as organisation of seminars and workshops, training programmes, Junior Research Fellowships, Post-Doctoral Fellowships, translation projects and publication-related activities. The year- wise details of funds allocated for Tamil, Kannada, Odia, Malayalam and Telugu are as under:Year Funds allocated (Rs. in lakhs) Tamil Kannada Odia Malayalam Telugu 2021-22 1200.00 106.50 58.38 63.97 103.15 2022-23 1200.00 171.75 176.75 186.75 171.75 2023-24 1525.00 154.50 138.50 112.50 154.50 2024-25 1430.00 86.00 86.00 86.00 86.00 2025-26 1697.00 106.50 106.50 106.50 106.50 The Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) has developed a rich repository of rare classical resources and possesses over 47,500 collections of Classical Tamil texts, 96,215 palm- leaf manuscripts and 39,061 paper manuscripts. 2,800 manuscripts have already been digitised, including palm-leaf manuscript collections of Tolkappiyam, which dates back to around the third century BCE. Further, 41 ancient Classical Tamil texts have been translated into Hindi and released during the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0. In addition, the Institute has translated major classical works such as Tirukkural, Tolkappiyam, Silappatikaram and Manimekalai into various Indian and foreign languages. The Institute has also established collaborations with international institutions including the University of Malaya, Eastern University of Sri Lanka and Frankfurt Tamil Sangam for the global promotion of the Tamil language. To review the outcomes of initiatives undertaken for the promotion of Classical Tamil, an assessment mechanism has been devised. The assessment is based on parameters such as academic and research activities undertaken, translation projects, number of publications, national and international outreach through seminars, conferences and workshops, and the number of Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Fellowships awarded. *****