Karnataka Recognises Tulu As Official Language and Initiates Dakshina Kannada Renaming

The Karnataka government has decided to accord official language status to Tulu for administrative matters across the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, fulfilling a long-standing demand from coastal communities. The decision was finalized during a special Cabinet meeting held at Praja Soudha in Mangaluru on Friday (September 18, 2026), marking the first time the state Cabinet convened outside Bengaluru.

Alongside the language recognition, the state administration initiated the formal process to rename Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru district by issuing a draft notification inviting public opinions and objections for one month. The Cabinet also approved a sweeping package of infrastructure and regional development projects worth 32,611 crore rupees for coastal Karnataka, aiming to stimulate economic growth and tourism.

Under the newly approved policy, Tulu will function as the state's second additional administrative language alongside Kannada in the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that the respective district administrations will serve as the primary implementing agencies for executing administrative workflows in the language.

To facilitate the transition, the state government has allocated 82 lakh rupees annually dedicated to translation services, administrative training, and language usage programs. Addressing reporters after the three-hour Cabinet session, Shivakumar emphasized that the administration chose to focus on concrete socio-economic empowerment rather than emotional politics.

The proposal to change the official designation of Dakshina Kannada district to Mangaluru district has entered a statutory public consultation phase. The state government will publish a formal draft notification, opening a mandatory one-month window for citizens, local representatives, and organizations to submit opinions and objections before any final administrative order is passed.

The renaming initiative gained substantial momentum following a July 2025 resolution passed by the Dakshina Kannada District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA). Local representatives and cultural groups, including the Mangaluru Zilla Tulupara Horata Samithi, have long argued that the moniker Mangaluru carries wider international recognition and reflects historical roots such as Tulunadu.

The Cabinet's package of 32,611 crore rupees for the coastal region includes 16,000 crore rupees earmarked specifically for rural development initiatives. Furthermore, the administration approved a new Coastal and Malnad Karnataka Tourism Policy designed to classify tourism ventures as infrastructure projects, granting investors extended loan repayment terms.

As part of this tourism push, 12 islands across the Mangaluru, Udupi, and Karwar districts will be developed to establish the coastline as an international tourism hub. The educational and economic infrastructure in the region will also expand through the creation of a dedicated Fisheries and Blue Economy University, alongside an increase in the existing fisheries college intake from 60 to 200 seats and the sanction of a 549-crore-rupee medical college in Puttur.