The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India has established the Center of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada at the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore. This Research Centre will work on various schemes and activities identified by the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore, which includes research, documentation, propagation and teaching of the language. This Center will also coordinate such work undertaken by the individuals, institutions in the States/UTs of India and abroad and provide linkages to studies in other classical languages in the world. The functions of the Research Centre are to :
- Identify sources of the classical language.
- Promote, propagate and preserve the classical language inside and outside its own speech territory.
- Undertake and encourage research & documentation in India and abroad.
- Procure manuscripts and undertake digitization.
- Publish books related to classical Kannada.
- Award certificate of honour along with cash awards to distinguished scholars of national and international repute who carved out a niche for themselves in the field by the wealth of their writings.
- Make documentaries of living scholars of eminence who are well-versed in classical texts.
- Create avenues for interdisciplinary research involving related studies of numismatics, epigraphy, archaeology and ancient history.
- Explore linkages of classical language with classical music and dance forms.
- Link classical languages and modem technology.
- Translate classical texts into other Indian languages, English and select European languages.
- Encourage epistemological research that links cultural repository of the classical language with those of world's ancient civi1izations.
- Build a knowledge repository to work as a clearing house for questions asked on civilization and culture of ancient Dravidian times.
- Create Classical language Chairs in various Indian Universities.
- Undertake any other activity that would support study of classical languages.
- Coordinate the work on Indian Classical Languages by providing linkages and dissemination of the information. This Centre will also institute:- - One Lifetime Achievement Award for an Indian scholar – A certificate of honour, a memento (a shawl) and a onetime cash award of Rs.5.00 lakh, to be presented by the President of India. - Two International Awards for Lifetime Achievement (one each for person of Indian and non Indian origin)- A certificate of honour, a memento (a shawl) and a onetime cash award of Rs.5.00 lakh, to be presented by the President of India. - Five Young Scholars Awards - Young scholars in the age group of 30 – 40 years, to be given a certificate of honour and a memento and onetime cash award of Rs.l.00 lakh to be presented by the President of India. This Centre will be headed by the Project Director and would have 37 persons including research scholars (15), fellows (15) and support staff (6). The Project Director of the Centre would work under the supervision and guidance of the Director, CIIL, and in coordination with the concerned agencies of the Govt. of Karnataka for the development of Classical Kannada. The Director, CIIL, would nominate five eminent persons of repute in the language to the Planning-cum-Monitoring Board in consultation with the relevant Departments of the State Government. This would also include Director (Finance) and Director (Languages), M/o HRD and Secretary, Central Sahitya Akademi, as ex-officio Members with the Project Director as the Member-Convener. This Board would identify the areas of research and help the Centre in identifying qualified researchers through a transparent process and monitor the progress of research on a quarterly basis and submit its Report to the Director, CIIL, Mysore.