Maithili language missed out on classical status for lack of proposal from Bihar government

Activists are protesting against the Bihar Government’s decision to abolish Maithili Language from Bihar Public Service Commission. Maithili, with approximately 12 million speakers in India, missed out on being accorded classical status due to a technicality. The recommendation for classical status is made by a Linguistics Expert Committee and approved by the Union Cabinet. The Janata Dal (United) has been demanding classical language status for Maithili. The State government of Bihar has not officially forwarded the proposal for Maithili, hindering its consideration. Once a language is declared classical, the Education Ministry provides benefits to promote it.