NEWS – Government of India has decided to include Farsi (Persian) as one of the classical languages in India under the New Education Policy

FARSI

• Also known as Persian
• Indo-Iranian language spoken primarily in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan
• One of the world’s oldest languages, with a rich literary tradition dating back over a millennium
• Script – Persian + right to left + 32 letters
• Official language of Iran and is also one of the official languages of Afghanistan
• Dialects: Tehrani (Tehran) , Dari in Afghanistan and Tajik in Tajikistan.
• Literature: Farsi has a rich literary tradition, particularly in poetry. Classical Persian poetry, with poets like Rumi, Hafez, and Ferdowsi, is highly regarded. Persian literature has made significant contributions to world literature
• Farsi is a significant language with a rich cultural and historical heritage. Learning about the language can provide insights into Iranian and Central Asian cultures and histories

Classical Languages in India

• Criteria
  • High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years
  • A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers
  • The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community
• Six languages enjoy the ‘Classical’ status: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).
• The benefits it provides once a language is notified as a Classical language:
  • Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in classical Indian languages.
  • A Centre of Excellence for studies in Classical Languages is set up