Patna: HAM(S) national president and Bihar minister Santosh Kumar Suman has urged the Centre to reconsider the proposed locations of Centres of Excellence for the study, research, preservation and digitisation of classical languages, saying that Magadh has a deep historical and cultural connection with Pali and Prakrit. The Centre has decided to establish centres for Pali in Odisha and Prakrit in Gujarat.Suman said the Union education ministry’s decision to establish five Centres of Excellence for classical languages was an important initiative. However, according to the ministry’s Oct 1, 2026, office memorandum, Centre of Excellence for Pali is being established at Central University of Odisha, while the centre for Prakrit is proposed at Central University of Gujarat.He appealed to the ministry to include Bihar, particularly the Magadh region, in the initiative in view of its historical significance. He said the history of Pali and Prakrit was not confined to books and inscriptions but was deeply linked to the land of Magadh, which played a major role in spreading Buddhist, Jain and ancient Indian knowledge traditions across the world.‘Magahi Connection’, a cultural organisation in Bihar, has also objected to the decision to establish Centres of Excellence for the Pali and Prakrit languages in Odisha and Gujarat instead of Bihar.Suman pointed to the historical importance of Nalanda, Rajgir, Gaya, Pataliputra and Vaishali, saying these sites underline the region’s central role in India’s linguistic and intellectual heritage.He suggested that institutions such as South Bihar Central University and Nalanda University could provide a strong academic foundation for a Centre of Excellence dedicated to Pali and Prakrit.Such a centre in Bihar, he said, would promote research, preservation and digitisation of manuscripts, translation work and wider dissemination of India’s ancient knowledge traditions among younger generations.The minister urged the education ministry to reconsider the issue and give Magadh an opportunity to host Centre of Excellence. He said linking the study of these classical languages with their historical geography would be a meaningful step towards preserving the country’s linguistic and cultural heritage.
