Tulu Accorded Status of Second Additional Administrative Language in Coastal Karnataka

Gist The Karnataka government has decided to designate Tulu as a second additional administrative language in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi . This policy shift allows local government offices to use Tulu alongside Kannada for official communication, education, and public signage. For an aspirant, this development highlights the ongoing administrative mechanisms states use to accommodate regional linguistic identities that lack independent statehood or constitutional recognition under the Eighth Schedule. Background During the linguistic reorganization of states under the States Reorganisation Act 1956 , major Dravidian languages Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam were granted separate states, but Tulu-speaking regions were integrated into Karnataka and Kerala. Tulu is a prominent Dravidian language spoken primarily by 1.8 to 2 million native speakers concentrated in Karnataka's coastal belt and northern Kerala. The language boasts a strong oral tradition tied to regional cultural practices like Yakshagana and Bhoota Kola , but speakers have long felt marginalized compared to other regional languages such as Konkani or Kodava. Prior to this cabinet decision, Kannada was the sole administrative language in these districts, and Tulu lacked…