Recently, the Union Cabinet granted Classical Language Status to five languages. Consider the following statements regarding the…

Question

Recently, the Union Cabinet granted Classical Language Status to five languages. Consider the following statements regarding the revised criteria for a language to be conferred with Classical status:

I. High antiquity of its early texts or recorded history, spanning at least 1500-2000 years.

II. A body of ancient literature/texts considered a valuable heritage by successive generations of speakers.

III. The literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech community.

IV. The language must be currently spoken by more than 50 million people.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. A. I, II and III only (Correct answer)
2. B. II and IV only
3. C. I, III and IV only
4. D. All four statements

Correct Answer

Option A — I, II and III only

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is I, II and III only.

Key Points

• The revised criteria for Classical Language status include: high antiquity (1500-2000 years) of early texts (I ✓), ancient literature considered a valuable heritage (II ✓), and an original literary tradition not borrowed from another community (III ✓).
• A minimum of 50 million current speakers (IV) is NOT a criterion — classical status is based on antiquity and literary heritage, not current speaker count.