Which is the first Indian language that was given the status of 'classical language' by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India?

Correct option is D

The correct answer is (D) Tamil.

The Ministry of Culture is the nodal ministry providing guidelines for classical languages.

The Government of India declared Tamil was the first language conferred with the status of Classical Language in India in 2004.

Additional Information:

• A Centre of excellence for studies in classical languages is also there in India.
• All the classical languages are also listed in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• Sanskrit was given the status as a Classical Language of India in 2005.
• In 2008 Kannada and Telugu were given the status as Classical Languages of India.
• Malayalam was declared as a classical language in 2013.
• In 2014, Odia was also given the status of the Classical language.

Important Points:

As of October 2024, there are 11 languages in India that are considered classical languages. These languages are: 

• Tamil: Declared in 2004
• Sanskrit: Declared in 2005
• Kannada: Declared in 2008
• Telugu: Declared in 2008
• Malayalam: Declared in 2013
• Odia: Declared in 2014
• Marathi: Approved in 2024
• Pali: Approved in 2024
• Prakrit: Approved in 2024
• Assamese: Approved in 2024
• Bengali: Approved in 2024