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(The Gist of PIB) Protection and Promotion of Maithili [MARCH-2019]

Protection and Promotion of Maithili

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has decided to apply some of the recommendations of a committee constituted in 2018 for the promotion and protection of Maithili language and its scripts.

Establishment of a script and manuscript centre in Darbhanga either at Kameshwar Singh Sanskrit University or Lalit Narayan Mithila University.
Early completion of work pertaining to Unicode scripts of Mithilakshar by the Technology Development of Indian Languages.
Preparation of audio-visual materials for teaching the Mithilakshar scripts.

Mithilakshar or Tirhuta is the script of broader cultural Mithila.
Mithilakshar, Bangla, Assamese, Nebari, Odia and Tibetan are a part of the same family of scripts.
It is an ancient script and is one of the scripts of the broader North Eastern India.
Mithilakshar script emerged during 10th Century AD as its oldest form was found in Sahodara stone inscriptions of 950 AD.
The script has been used throughout Mithila from Champaran to Deoghar.
The use of this script has been declining since the last 100 years, which is the primary reason for the cultural decline.

Maithili is a language spoken in Bihar belonging to the eastern sub-group of the Indo-Aryan branch.
Bhojpuri and Magadhi are closely related to the language.
The language is claimed to have developed from the Magadhan Prakrit.
It was the literary language of all of eastern India during the medieval period.
This language was popularised in fourteenth century by poet Vidyapati and solidified the importance of the language in literature.
Maithili language has been accorded Constitutional status in 2003 and it became one of the 22 languages mentioned in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.