Wed Jul 23 19:57:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

The Maharashtra state government is working to establish a stronger presence of Marathi culture and history at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). This includes seeking land to erect a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, inaugurating the Kusumagraj Special Centre for Marathi Language, Literature, and Culture, and laying the foundation stone for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Special Centre for Security and Strategic Studies. The initiatives aim to promote Marathi language and culture, foster multilingualism, and study indigenous strategic traditions based on the Maratha empire.

**News Article:**

**Maharashtra Government Seeks to Establish Marathi Cultural Hub at JNU**

**New Delhi, July 24, 2025** – The Maharashtra government is making significant strides in promoting Marathi language, culture, and history at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi. Minister for Industries and Marathi Language Uday Samant announced on Wednesday that the state has requested land from JNU to construct a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a revered Maratha king.

“A statue of our most revered king in this renowned university will help spread the importance of his valour and Maratha history on a national platform,” stated Minister Samant. He added that preliminary talks with the JNU Vice-Chancellor have been positive.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other state ministers are scheduled to visit JNU on Thursday to inaugurate the Kusumagraj Special Centre for Marathi Language, Literature, and Culture. Named after the celebrated poet, the center will offer postgraduate and certificate programs to promote multilingualism and cultural understanding. The courses aim to target even non-marathi speakers through the National Education Policy, 2020.

The Chief Minister will also lay the foundation stone for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Special Centre for Security and Strategic Studies. This center, operating under JNU’s School of International Studies, will focus on exploring indigenous strategic traditions based on the Maratha empire and aims to become a hub for military history, strategy, and future policy development rooted in India’s past.

According to JNU V-C Santishree Pandit, Marathi has been recognized as a classical language by the Centre, and is known for its rich literary heritage.

The state government has allocated ₹10 crore for each of the two centres. The establishment of the Marathi centre was initially announced in 2007.

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