PM Modi emphasised that the Union government always encouraged imparting education in the mother tongue
PM Modi while addressing at the Women's Empowerment Mission programme, in Thane. Pic/PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Maharashtra visit on Saturday said that the classical language status will boost research and education in Marathi, reported the PTI.
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PM Modi on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several projects worth more than Rs 32,000 crore in Maharashtra.
Addressing a function in Mumbai, two days after the Union Cabinet approved the classical language tag for Marathi and four other languages, Modi said it was a "golden moment" for the Marathi language.
"Marathi is a historical language whose knowledge sources have guided several generations. The Marathi language showcased literature, religion, social reforms, the freedom movement etc., over the years. The culture, history, literature, and folk art are linked to the language," the prime minister said, according to the PTI.
PM Modi said that the classical language status would help boost research and education in the Marathi language and appealed to Marathi speakers to ensure that the language reaches a global audience.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the Union government always encouraged imparting education in the mother tongue.
As per the National Education Policy, medical and engineering studies can be pursued in the Marathi language, he added, as per the PTI.
PM Modi said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government at the Centre ensured that the operative part in court judgements is given in the mother tongue.
"Language should be the vehicle of ideas," he said, the news agency reported on Satutrday.
Noting that translations can break the language barrier, PM Modi proposed using technology to popularise the Indian languages in the world.
"It is the responsibility of every Marathi-speaking person to contribute to developing the language," PM Modi added.
So far, India has six classical languages-- Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia.
After a language is notified as a classical language, the Union Education Ministry provides certain benefits for its promotion, which include two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in the said languages.
An official statement had on Thursday had said that the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Modi has approved to confer the status of classical language to Marathi.
Classical languages serve as a custodian of Bharat’s profound and ancient cultural heritage, embodying the essence of each community’s historical and cultural milestone, it said.
The statement said that a proposal from the Maharashtra Government in 2013 was received in the Ministry requesting Classical Language status to Marathi, which was forwarded to the Linguistics Experts Committee (LEC).
The LEC recommended Marathi for classical language and during the inter-ministerial consultations on the draft note for cabinet in 2017 for conferring classical status to the Marathi language, MHA advised to revise the criteria and make it stricter. The PMO vide its comment stated that the Ministry may conduct an exercise to find out how many other languages are likely to become eligible.
(with PTI inputs)
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