Which of the following regional language was granted a status of 'classical language' by the Government in October 2024?

Marathi

The correct answer is Option 3: Marathi

The Union Cabinet granted classical language status to five additional Indian languages in Oct 2024: Marathi, Bengali, Pali, Prakrit and Assamese. This nearly doubles the number of languages with this status, from six to 11. The newly recognised languages join the existing list of classical languages -- Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia. Tamil was the first language to receive classical status in 2004, while Odia was sixth in 2014.

Indian classical languages, also known as Shastriya Bhasha, refer to languages with a deep historical background, rich literary traditions and a unique cultural heritage. These languages have significantly contributed to the intellectual and cultural development of the region, with their texts offering valuable insights into various domains like literature, philosophy and religion.

In 2014, the Ministry of Culture defined the criteria for a language to be declared 'Classical' in India. Firstly the language must have a recorded history and literary tradition spanning 1500-2000 years, and it must possess a vast collection of ancient texts and literature that remains highly regarded.The language also needs to have a unique literary heritage, not derived from another language. There may be, thus, a clear distinction between the classical language and its modern forms.