UPSC Prelims 2014 · Question 68 of 100
UPSC Prelims 2014 question on Classical Language Status
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2014
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectArt and Culture
- TopicLiterature
- DifficultyMedium
- TypeStatement
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?
Show answer
Answer: C. 2 and 3 only
Verdict
The answer is 2 and 3 only. Kannada and Telugu carry classical language status; Gujarati does not.
Analysis
Statement 2 and statement 3 are CORRECT. Kannada and Telugu were both accorded classical language status in 2008. Statement 1 is INCORRECT. Gujarati has never been granted that status. As of the period this paper was set, the recognised classical languages were Tamil, first recognised in 2004, followed by Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Odia.
Source
The Hindu report on classical language status for Odia.
How to crack it
The classical language list grows over time, so learn it as a dated sequence rather than as a set, and note that more languages have been added since 2014. The structural pattern worth carrying is that recognition has gone to languages with a documented ancient literary corpus, which is why the four southern languages plus Sanskrit and Odia dominate the list. Any question in this area is answerable if you can place the year of each addition, and the news hook is the announcement itself, which always appears in the papers.