Tulu to be Karnataka's second additional administrative language in 2 districts

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday announced that Tulu would be made the state’s second additional administrative language in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting held in Mangaluru, Shivakumar said, “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.”

He said Tulu, spoken primarily in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, had potential for educational and cultural growth. A Cabinet note shared by the Chief Minister’s Office described it as the “second additional administrative language”.

He also said the government had decided on a new tourism policy for the Malnad and coastal regions. Shivakumar said the government would bring out a separate policy for coastal Karnataka in view of its long coastline, rich cultural tradition, and religious and heritage sites. He said tourism projects in the Malnad and coastal regions would be treated as infrastructure projects, and investors would be offered incentives.

“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, adding that prolonged monsoons affect tourism activity in the coastal and Malnad regions. He also said the government would take up new urban development planning and provide incentives related to fisheries.

Shivakumar further said the government had approved the Karnataka Marine Biotechnology Policy, 2026-31. Under it, the government will establish the Fisheries, Marine and Blue Economy University by upgrading the existing college, and increase its intake from 60 seats to 200.

On the demand to rename Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru district, CM Shivakumar said the government would issue a draft notification and invite public opinion for a month. “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. He added that the government would consider people’s sentiments and the traditional aspects associated with the name before taking a final decision.

The chief minister said the Cabinet had approved projects worth about Rs 32,611 crore, including around Rs 16,000 crore for rural development and another Rs 16,000 crore for Mangaluru, Udupi and the coastal region. He said the decisions had taken into account demands raised by MLAs, MPs, the Chamber of Commerce, fishermen, industries and trade bodies.

Shivakumar also announced that the government would hold Cabinet meetings at 10 to 12 places across Karnataka over the next 15 months. “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).

He also said a medical college costing around Rs 450 crore had been sanctioned, and referred to demands for setting up Kidwai and Jayadeva hospitals in the region. Shivakumar said this was the first Cabinet meeting held outside Bengaluru after he assumed charge, and that it had been conducted in Mangaluru to acknowledge the region’s contribution and address its development needs.

“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. Before the meeting, the chief minister held a roadshow in the city and offered prayers at famous temples. PTI reported that festoons, banners, posters and Congress flags were seen across key parts of Mangaluru.

Coastal Karnataka is considered a Hindutva hotbed and, according to some BJP leaders, the chief minister is “peddling soft Hindutva to make a dent in the BJP’s vote bank”. A senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity, told PTI, “Shivakumar never made any bones about his firm belief in Hinduism and he frequently goes to temples, performs rituals publicly and quotes scriptures as well. He is now peddling soft Hindutva. This was also clear from his ‘rendition’ of the RSS anthem ‘Namaste Sada Vatsale’ inside the Karnataka Assembly.”

The meeting in Mangaluru saw the Karnataka government announce decisions on language, tourism, marine biotechnology, infrastructure and regional development, while also opening consultations on renaming Dakshina Kannada district and outlining plans to take Cabinet meetings to other parts of the state.