Tulu as an Additional Administrative Language in Karnataka

25 Sep 2026

Tags: Society   Salient Features   Diversity of India

Source: The Indian Express

Context: The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to accord Tulu the status of a second additional administrative language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

• The decision was announced at a special Cabinet meeting held in Mangaluru and seeks to strengthen the official use and preservation of Tulu in coastal Karnataka.

Tulu: Linguistic and Cultural Profile

• Tulu is a Dravidian language, alongside Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
• It is primarily spoken in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in Karnataka and parts of northern Kerala.
• Despite migration of Tulu-speaking communities to cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru, around 1.8–2 million people are estimated to be native speakers.
• Tulu has a strong oral tradition, folklore and cultural heritage, reflected in traditions such as Yakshagana and Bhoota Kola.
• Tulu historically had its own script, but it is now largely written using the Kannada script.

What the New Status Means

• Government offices in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi can use Tulu for official communication alongside Kannada.
• The State Government has allocated ₹82 lakh annually for translation, language training and other activities required for implementation.
• The expanded administrative use can also facilitate greater use of Tulu in education, public signage and cultural promotion.

Background to the Demand

• Tulu-speaking communities have sought greater official recognition for decades, arguing that its large speaker base and cultural significance warrant stronger institutional support.
• Several legislators from coastal Karnataka have raised the issue in the State Legislature.
• One major argument is that Tulu-speaking areas did not receive a separate linguistic State during the 1956 reorganisation of States, unlike areas associated with some other major Dravidian languages.
• Social-media campaigns have also sustained the demand for greater recognition of Tulu.

Challenges in Implementation

• Very few public signs in coastal Karnataka currently use Tulu, limiting its visibility in public administration.
• Although efforts have been made to revive the Tulu script, knowledge of the script remains limited.
• Tulu is not widely taught in schools and colleges, creating difficulties in developing wider literacy in the language.
• Effective implementation will therefore require translation capacity, trained personnel, educational support and greater familiarity with the script.

Political Significance

• Coastal Karnataka has traditionally been a strong support base for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is marked by significant identity and communal mobilisation.
• Previous attempts by the Congress to expand its political support in the region through caste-based consolidation have had limited success.
• The decision to hold the Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru and grant Tulu additional administrative status can also be viewed as an effort to connect with the region through its linguistic and cultural identity.

 

Constitutional Relevance Linguistic Diversity in India India has no single national language specified in the Constitution. Hindi and English are used for Union-level official purposes under the constitutional and statutory framework, while States can determine their own official languages subject to constitutional provisions. Eighth Schedule of the Constitution currently recognises 22 languages; inclusion provides constitutional recognition and enables representation in specified institutional contexts. Tulu is not currently included in the Eighth Schedule, despite longstanding demands for its inclusion. Official Language vs Eighth Schedule Recognition Being granted additional administrative language status by a State is distinct from inclusion in the Eighth Schedule. Karnataka's decision applies specifically to the designated districts and concerns the use of Tulu in administration; it does not automatically confer Eighth Schedule status on Tulu. The distinction is important because State-level official/administrative recognition and constitutional recognition under the Eighth Schedule are separate processes.