Bihar govt launches academies to preserve ancient Prakrit and Pali languages

The Bihar government has unveiled plans to establish two new language academies dedicated to Prakrit and Pali, aiming to preserve and promote these ancient languages, officials said.

According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Secretariat on Dec 10, both academies will operate under the administrative control of the newly created Department of Higher Education.

The announcement follows the state Cabinet’s approval, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, to form three new departments: Youth, Employment and Skill Development; Higher Education; and Civil Aviation.

Existing language academies in Bihar will also now fall under the Higher Education department’s jurisdiction.

The Higher Education department will oversee institutions engaged in university-level research across social, economic, scientific, and other fields, in addition to managing vernacular academies such as the Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Pali Academies, the notification stated.

Language experts note that Prakrit languages, also called Middle Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from classical Sanskrit and significantly influenced the development of modern Indian languages.

Pali, among the Prakrit languages, holds particular importance as the canonical language of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and parts of Southeast Asia.

Other Prakrit languages, including Sauraseni, Magadhi, and Gandhari, reflect literary traditions of both Hindu and Buddhist cultures.

Senior JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar welcomed the government’s decision, saying, “Prakrit and Pali are foundational to India’s cultural heritage. This decision by our visionary leader, Nitish Kumar, is a major step toward preserving these languages.”

He added that the academies could have a lasting impact on higher education in India, particularly in Bihar, which is historically linked to the teachings of Buddha.