Tulu set to become Karnataka’s second additional administrative language

• Karnataka will make Tulu the state’s second additional administrative language in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.

• A new tourism policy will cover the Malnad and coastal regions, with tourism projects to be treated as infrastructure projects.

• Cabinet also approves Karnataka Marine Biotechnology Policy, 2026-31, while government will seek public opinion on renaming Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru.

Karnataka chief minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday, 18 September announced that Tulu would be made the state’s second additional administrative language in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, in a move aimed at recognising the linguistic and cultural identity of the coastal region.

The announcement came after the state cabinet met in Mangaluru — the first Cabinet meeting held outside Bengaluru since Shivakumar took charge.

“Today, we have decided to make Tulu a language applicable to Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts and to declare it as the state’s second additional (administrative) language,” Shivakumar said.

Tulu, a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, is also spoken in Kasaragod district of neighbouring Kerala. The region where the language is widely spoken is known as Tulu Nadu. Although Tulu shares some linguistic features with Kannada and Malayalam, it has a distinct literary and cultural identity.

A cabinet note shared by the chief minister’s office described it as the 'second additional administrative language'.

Shivakumar also announced a new tourism policy for the Malnad and coastal regions, with the government planning to treat tourism projects as infrastructure projects and offer incentives to attract investment.

The policy is expected to provide greater support to investors, particularly in greenfield tourism projects, including more time to repay loans. Shivakumar said prolonged monsoons affected tourism activity in the coastal and Malnad regions and that investors needed additional support. “Those who invest in tourism — because this is a full greenfield sector — should be given greater support. They should be given time to repay their loans,” he said.

The government will also undertake new urban development planning and provide incentives linked to fisheries, Shivakumar said. The cabinet approved the Karnataka Marine Biotechnology Policy, 2026-31, under which the government plans to establish a Fisheries, Marine and Blue Economy University by upgrading an existing college. The intake is proposed to be increased from 60 to 200 seats.

On the demand to rename Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru district, Shivakumar said the government would issue a draft notification and invite public opinion for a month before taking a final decision. “We have more or less come to the view that Dakshina Kannada district should be declared as Mangaluru district. But public opinion is also necessary here,” he said.

The government would consider public sentiment and the traditional associations attached to the existing name before making a final decision, he added.

Shivakumar said the Cabinet had approved projects worth around Rs 32,611 crore, including about Rs 16,000 crore for rural development and another Rs 16,000 crore for Mangaluru, Udupi and the coastal region. He said the decisions were based on demands submitted by MLAs, MPs, the Chamber of Commerce, fishermen, industries and trade bodies.

The government will also hold cabinet meetings at 10 to 12 locations across Karnataka over the next 15 months, Shivakumar said, as part of its stated aim of taking the administration beyond Bengaluru. “We want to see the entire state. Wherever there is a position, wherever there is a need, we will have to go, because every part of the state is important for us,” he said, describing the approach as 'samagra Karnataka, samruddha Karnataka (inclusive Karnataka, prosperous Karnataka)'.

The cabinet also sanctioned a medical college costing around Rs 450 crore, while Shivakumar referred to demands for establishing Kidwai and Jayadeva hospitals in the region.

Explaining the decision to hold the cabinet meeting in Mangaluru, Shivakumar said the coastal region had made a significant contribution to the state’s social, educational and economic development. “This is a major district that has grown socially, educationally and economically from the beginning. The entire nation has taken note of the history and heritage of this district,” he said.

With PTI inputs