Deccan College
Deccan College chancellor Bhushan Patwardhan told TOI :“The designation recognises the 205-year legacy of Deccan College and its long scholarship in language and linguistics, particularly in Sanskrit and Marathi. I am very happy to receive this news when we are celebrating our 205th foundation day and convocation on Oct 6. Fadnavis said Maharashtra govt had been pursuing the establishment of the centre with Union govt after Marathi was granted classical language status in 2024.
“I am extremely happy to say that the central government has accepted this demand and approved the establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Marathi at Deccan College in Pune,” he said. It also honours the work of eminent scholars such as Prof Ashok Kelkar and many others who built this tradition. Pune: The Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Marathi will be established at Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute in Pune, Union ministry of education said on Thursday.
“The new centre at Deccan College is expected to provide an institutional base for research into Marathi’s linguistic and literary heritage, along with digitisation and preservation of important material and wider academic dissemination,” Patwardhan added. Deccan College was selected as the centre for Classical Marathi. Patwardhan also highlighted the contribution of S M Katre, who initiated the ambitious Sanskrit dictionary project at Deccan College, describing it as part of the institution’s long-standing contribution to language scholarship.
Union ministry’s circular issued on Friday stated that five Centres of Excellence for studies in Classical Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit were designated.