India, March 20 -- The Maharashtra government will establish the state's first translation academy to promote Marathi language and literature. The move comes soon after Marathi was granted the status of a classical language, giving fresh momentum to demands from the literary community.

According to government officials, the academy will focus on translating old Marathi manuscripts into other languages and also bringing important works from different Indian and global languages into Marathi.

The academy, the first of its kind in Maharashtra, was announced in the state budget after a Rs.350-crore proposal was submitted by the state government's Directorate of Languages.

Apart from translation work, the academy will offer formal training ...