Tulu gets official administrative status as Karnataka Cabinet meets in Mangaluru
The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday approved Tulu as the state's second additional administrative language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, fulfilling a long-standing demand for greater official recognition of the regional language.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar announced the decision after the Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru, the first Cabinet meeting of his government to be held outside Bengaluru. A Cabinet note described Tulu as the "second additional administrative language" for the two coastal districts. The government will allocate Rs 82 lakh annually for translation, training and other activities linked to its administrative use.
Shivakumar said Tulu, which is primarily spoken in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, has significant potential for educational and cultural development. The decision came after renewed demands from Tulu organisations and cultural groups for official recognition. A campaign seeking official language status had also been conducted on social media ahead of the Cabinet meeting.
The Cabinet also approved a separate tourism policy for the coastal and Malnad regions. Under the proposed framework, tourism projects will be treated as infrastructure projects and investors will receive incentives, including greater flexibility to repay loans. The government said the policy aims to encourage investment in greenfield tourism projects despite the impact of prolonged monsoons on the regions.
Shivakumar said the government had approved proposals worth around Rs 32,611 crore, including roughly Rs 16,000 crore for rural development and a similar amount for Mangaluru, Udupi and other coastal areas.
The Cabinet also approved the Karnataka Marine Biotechnology Policy 2026-31. Under it, the existing fisheries college will be upgraded into a Fisheries, Marine and Blue Economy University, with student intake proposed to rise from 60 to 200.
On the proposal to rename Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru district, Shivakumar said the government would issue a draft notification and invite public objections and suggestions for a month before taking a final decision.
A government medical college and teaching hospital in Puttur taluk was also approved, with the project estimated at Rs 549.79 crore.
The Cabinet meeting was accompanied by a road show by Shivakumar and visits to temples in Mangaluru. The coastal region has traditionally been an important political battleground in Karnataka. BJP leaders have characterised Shivakumar's recent public religious engagements as an attempt to appeal to voters in the region; that interpretation is a political claim, rather than an established fact.
with inputs from PTI
