Mon Feb 03 07:00:00 IST 2025: ## Centre of Excellence for Classical Kannada to Get Autonomy, Shift to Bengaluru

**Bengaluru, February 3, 2025** – The Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada (CESCK) will be granted autonomy and relocated to Bengaluru, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced following a meeting with a delegation from the Karnataka Development Authority (KDA).

For sixteen years, since Kannada received classical language status in 2008, the CESCK has operated under the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) in Mysuru, lacking independent funding and its own building. The KDA advocated for the centre’s separation from CIIL and transfer to the Karnataka state government, citing the example of a similar Tamil language centre.

While Minister Pradhan agreed to grant autonomy and relocate the CESCK to Bengaluru, he declined the request for state control, stating that the Tamil centre’s transfer was a unique political decision and that all classical language centres will remain under central government control. He emphasized that Bengaluru’s science and technology ecosystem would benefit the CESCK’s research and development.

To further aid the CESCK’s development, Minister Pradhan will chair a meeting in Bengaluru with scholars, writers, and technologists to crowdsource development ideas. He also pledged to expedite funding for KDA-submitted research proposals on classical Kannada. The relocation and the planned meeting are expected to significantly enhance the CESCK’s capabilities and research potential.

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