Centre spent 16 times the funds promoting Sanskrit in 2021-22 than Tamil

NEW DELHI: The government has spent Rs 21,069.31 lakh for promoting Sanskrit and Tamil in the academic year 2021-22. The funds released for Central Sanskrit University (CSU), New Delhi for promotion of Sanskrit is 16 times more compared to grants released for promoting Tamil, as per the the ministry of education reply in the Lok Sabha today.

The Centre has released Rs 1,186.15 lakh grants to Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai which works for the development and promotion of Classical Tamil in the year 2021-22. However, the grants for Central Sanskrit University stood at Rs 19,883.16 lakh.

Giving the details of the number of Indian Chairs abroad (in classical languages) established by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, minister of State for education Subhas Sarkar in a written reply said, “The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) has signed Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with eight International Universities for establishment of Indian Chairs abroad in classical languages comprising Sanskrit and Tamil. The ICCR has established a Tamil Chair in Poland.”

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The government had established a separate institute namely Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), Chennai for promotion of Tamil language. The CICT conducts seminars, workshops, short term projects and translation of Tirukkural and other classical texts into Scheduled Languages and other languages, the ministry informed.

It further informed that Central Sanskrit University (CSU), New Delhi aims to promote Sanskrit language along with Pali and Prakrit languages and their literatures.

Grants released to promote Tamil, Sanskrit

The education ministry has released the details of grants released to promote Sanskrit and Tamil since 2014.