Tulu Gets Additional Official Language Status in Karnataka’s Coastal Districts

Mangaluru, Sept 19: The Karnataka government has accorded Tulu the status of the second additional official language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, meeting a long-pending demand for greater recognition of the coastal language.

The decision was taken at a special Cabinet meeting held in Mangaluru on Saturday. The Cabinet also approved development projects worth ₹32,611 crore, the Coastal-Malnad Karnataka Tourism Policy 2026 and a 150-acre fisheries park.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the decision to grant additional official language status to Tulu was taken in response to a demand that had remained pending for several years.

Tulu, one of the five Dravidian languages, is predominantly spoken in Karnataka’s coastal districts and has long been the subject of demands for greater official recognition.

Of the ₹32,611 crore worth of projects approved by the Cabinet, around ₹16,000 crore will be spent on rural roads, rural development and infrastructure, Shivakumar said.

The remaining funds will be utilised for various development projects in the coastal districts, he added.