The Central Institute of Classical Tamil works out of a three-storey campus at Perumbakkam, on Chennai’s southern edge, built for ₹24 crore with money from the Union government and opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by video link on 12 January 2022, according to PM India. Before that, the institute ran from a rented building.
Most Chennai residents have never heard of it, yet it is the body behind many of the Thirukkural translations released each Pongal, and it publishes scholarly editions of the oldest Tamil texts. Here is what it does, what it has published recently, and how the public can use it.
What the institute is
CICT was set up after Tamil was declared a classical language in 2004 and is an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Education, a PTI report from December 2025 notes. Its work centres on 41 recognised classical Tamil texts: republishing them, translating them, and publishing research on their age and influence, as South First summarises. Institutions for other classical languages sit under the Central Institute of Indian Languages in Mysuru; CICT alone runs as a separate autonomous body.
The land came from the state. In a 31 August 2017 letter, released by the state’s information department, the then Chief Minister said Tamil Nadu had handed over 17 acres at Perumbakkam for a permanent building, and urged the Centre to keep the institute autonomous rather than attach it to a university.
Leadership as reported: the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister chairs the institute, Dr Sudha Seshayyan was appointed vice-chairperson by the Union Education Ministry in September 2024, and Prof. R. Chandrasekaran was named as director in the December 2025 PTI report.
Translations: the work most people see
The Thirukkural is the flagship. In December 2025 the director told PTI the text had been translated into 34 languages, 25 of them Indian, with 30 more planned for release around Pongal 2026 and a target of 100 languages by August 2026. Some of the planned Indian languages are not in the Constitution’s schedule, such as the language of the Irular tribe of the Nilgiris.
Counts differ between reports, because they mix the institute’s own editions with older ones. Treat the figures as the institute’s own progress statements, not a single fixed tally.
Other recent projects:
- Tholkappiyam, the oldest Tamil grammar, was released in 10 languages, including Odia, Assamese, Urdu and Tulu, at Kashi Tamil Sangamam in December 2025.
- Thirteen new books were released on 6 January 2026, including Malayalam translations of Sangam works such as Purananuru, a Telugu Silappathikaram, lexicons of Sangam literature and Akananuru, and a sign-language edition of the Thirukkural, according to South First.
- Paripadal and Sangam literature in Hindi were in progress in early 2025, and a spoken Tamil resource for learners had been published, the vice-chairperson told DT Next.
Awards and fellowships
The institute instituted the Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil. When the awards for 2009-10 and 2010-11 were presented at Rashtrapati Bhavan in October 2013, the President’s office listed three categories:
| Award | For | Cash (as of 2013) |
|---|---|---|
| Tolkappiyar Award | Lifetime achievement in classical Tamil | ₹5 lakh |
| Kural Peedam Award | Scholars of classical Tamil, including from abroad | ₹5 lakh |
| Young Scholar Awards | Promise in teaching, research and publication | ₹1 lakh |
The 2013 Kural Peedam winners were Jaroslav Vacek and John Ralston Marr. Amounts may have been revised since. The institute also offers fellowships and runs seminars and training programmes, PM India’s release says.
Using the institute as a member of the public
The campus library holds more than 45,000 old Tamil books, plus an e-library, seminar halls and a multimedia hall. Researchers and serious readers are the main users; contact the institute before visiting to ask about reference access.
Public events cluster around Thiruvalluvar Day in January, when new translations tend to be released, and around national events such as Kashi Tamil Sangamam. The institute’s own site, cict.in, posts notices, but it could not be loaded for this article, so confirm current contact details there or by phone.
The institute has also faced criticism. Some Tamil scholars objected to the 2024 vice-chair appointment, and South First reported questions over a 2026 book on Ram temples in Tamil Nadu. Those debates are ongoing.
Quick answers
Where is the Central Institute of Classical Tamil?
At Perumbakkam on Chennai’s southern fringe, on 17 acres given by the state government.
Is CICT a state or central body?
Central. It is an autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Education, though the state CM chairs it.
How many languages is the Thirukkural in?
In December 2025 the institute said 34, with a target of 100 by August 2026. Check its latest release for the current number.
Can I use the library?
It holds over 45,000 old Tamil books. Contact the institute first to ask about reference access.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- PM to inaugurate new campus of Central Institute of Classical Tamil (PM India)
- Press Release No. 563: CM’s letter on CICT (DIPR, Government of Tamil Nadu)
- President presents Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil (President of India)
- Thirukkural translation to be available in 30 more languages (The Week, PTI)
- Mission Tirukkural in 74 languages accomplished, next Paripadal (DT Next)
- From classical Tamil to Ram temples: is CICT being pulled into a cultural project (South First)
