Consider the following languages : (1). Gujarati (2). Kannada (3). Telugu Which of the above has/have been declared as ‘Classical Language / Languages’ by the Government?

The correct answer is C (2 and 3 only). Kannada and Telugu were both declared Classical Languages in 2008, following the Tamil (2004) and Sanskrit (2005) decisions. The government set up a Linguistic Experts Committee in 2004 with criteria: high antiquity (1500-2000 years), a body of ancient texts regarded as a heritage, an original literary tradition not borrowed from another speech community, and a distinct break from modern forms.

Why the others fail:

• Statement 1 (Gujarati) has not been declared a Classical Language. It is a major Indo-Aryan language, but it was not among the languages recognised under this criterion in 2014.
• Options A and D both include Gujarati, so they are wrong.
• Option B (3 only) leaves out Kannada, which was declared in 2008.

Core concept: the Classical Language status is a symbolic, non-statutory recognition that carries scholarly benefits such as Centres of Excellence and chairs. Mains often asks about language politics, federalism and cultural identity, and this status is a good example of how the Centre recognises linguistic heritage.

Note: the list has grown since 2014. Malayalam (2013) and Odia (2014) were added, and in 2024 Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali were also declared, so keep your notes updated.

Trap: candidates who recall Gujarati as a major language and remember Telugu as an old language may pick option A or D. Stick to the official list, not your sense of which languages look ancient.