Why in News?
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the first phase of the Museum of Word (also known as Shabdalok) in Kolkata.
Key Points
The museum is developed by the National Library of India under the Union Ministry of Culture, to showcase India's linguistic history.
It features manuscripts, inscriptions, printing history, and AI-enabled digital archives.
The inauguration coincides with the 150th anniversary of the national song, Vande Mataram.
It also recognises the Classical Language status conferred upon Bengali in 2024.
Exam Connect
Ministry of Culture → preserves and promotes India's art and cultural heritage → headquartered in New Delhi
Classical Language status → granted based on high antiquity and ancient literature → includes Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Bengali, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, and Assamese