Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Announces $1-Million Prize for Deciphering Indus Valley Civilization Scripts

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announces a $1-million prize for experts or organizations deciphering the scripts of the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC).

• The announcement was made at an international conference marking the centenary of the IVC discovery.

• The IVC, also known as the Harappan Civilisation, spanned 2,000 sites across 1.5 million sq. km.

• The Dravidian hypothesis suggests the Indus script carries proto-Dravidian references.

• A study by the Tamil Nadu government’s State Department of Archaeology reveals nearly 90% of graffiti marks found parallels to those found in the IVC.

• The monograph suggests a “possibility of cultural exchanges” between the IVC and south India.