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The Union Cabinet has granted classical language status to five additional languages: Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Pali, and Prakrit.
A key provision requiring a language to have an original literary tradition was removed, making it easier for languages to qualify.
The criteria for classical language status were initially set in 2004 and revised in 2005, but had become a barrier for many languages seeking recognition.
2005 Criteria for Classical Language Status:
The language must have ancient texts with a recorded history spanning 1,500 to 2,000 years.
There should be a significant body of ancient literature or texts recognized as valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
The literary tradition must be original and not borrowed from other speech communities.
The classical language and its literature must be distinct from modern forms of the language.
There may be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or offshoots
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