Mangaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday decided to recognise Tulu as Karnataka's second additional language, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, in a move that gives formal administrative recognition to the language predominantly spoken in the state's coastal districts.
According to PTI, a Cabinet note described Tulu as the state's "second additional administrative language". Shivakumar said Tulu, spoken primarily in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, had potential for educational and cultural growth.
The decision follows a long-standing demand for official recognition of Tulu. In January, then minister Shivraj Tangadagi had told the Karnataka Legislative Assembly that the government was in favour of making Tulu the state's second additional official language and was studying how other states had adopted additional languages.
Karnataka's move is significant because Kannada has so far been the state's sole official language, while English has also been used for official purposes. The state's decision follows a broader constitutional framework under which states can adopt one or more languages for official purposes. Article 345 provides this power to state legislatures.
The legal treatment of additional languages varies across India. A 2025 Supreme Court judgment listed states that recognise more than one language for official purposes, while noting that these arrangements differ from state to state.
A commonly used 2026 state-wise compilation identifies 17 states with a second or additional official language or languages:1) Andhra Pradesh (First Language: Telugu; Second Language: Urdu)2)Assam (First Language: Assamese; Second Languages: Bengali, Bodo, Karbi)3)Bihar (First Language: Hindi; Second Language: Urdu)4) Chhattisgarh (First Language: Hindi; Second Language: Chhattisgarhi)5) Goa (First Language: Konkani; Second Language: Marathi)6) Gujarat (First Language: Gujarati; Second Language: Hindi)7) Haryana (First Language: Hindi; Second Language: Punjabi)8) Himachal Pradesh (First Language: Hindi; Second Language: Sanskrit)9) Jharkhand (First Language: Hindi; Second Languages: Urdu, Bengali, Odia, Santhali)10) Manipur (First Language: Manipuri; Second Language: English)11) Meghalaya (First Language: English; Second Languages: Khasi, Garo)12) Mizoram (First Language: Mizo; Second Language: English)13) Tamil Nadu (First Language: Tamil; Second Language: English)14) Telangana (First Language: Telugu; Second Language: Urdu)15) Uttar Pradesh (First Language: Hindi; Second Language: Urdu)16) Uttarakhand (First Language: Hindi; Second Language: Sanskrit)17) West Bengal (First Language: Bengali; Second Language: English)
Tulu belongs to the Dravidian language family and is concentrated in the coastal region covering Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, with Tulu-speaking communities also present in neighbouring parts of Keralam.
Its history extends well beyond the modern state of Karnataka. Tulu Nadu was a recognised cultural and geographical region along the southwestern coast, and the language developed a distinct literary and oral tradition.
Tulu also has its own script, although the use of the Kannada script became dominant in modern writing. A detailed account of Tulu's literary history notes works such as Tulu Mahabharata, attributed to the 13th century, and Tulu Bhagavata and Kaveri from the 17th century.
Much of Tulu's cultural heritage has also been preserved through oral traditions, particularly paddana — long sung narratives associated with the cultural and ritual life of Tulunadu. The Siri and Koti-Chennaya epics are among the best-known examples documented by scholars.
Tulu is closely connected with the cultural traditions of coastal Karnataka, including folk performance, ritual traditions and Yakshagana. Tulu oral narratives and folk traditions have also contributed to the region's literature and performing arts.
The Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy, established by the state government in 1994, promotes Tulu literature and culture through publications, research, cultural programmes and awards.
The language has also had a presence in education. The Karnataka government introduced Tulu as an optional language in schools, and The Indian Express reported that 956 students from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi took Tulu as the third optional language in the SSLC examination in 2020.
The Cabinet decision therefore marks an administrative development for a language whose influence in coastal Karnataka extends across literature, oral traditions, theatre and local cultural practices.
Shivakumar also said the state government would introduce a separate tourism policy for coastal Karnataka, citing its coastline and cultural, religious and heritage sites.
The Cabinet also approved development proposals worth Rs 32,611 crore, including Rs 16,000 crore each for rural development and the coastal region, according to PTI.
(With inputs from PTI | Karnataka government / Cabinet-related material | Supreme Court judgment, Varshatai v State of Maharashtra (2025) | The Indian Express | Asian Ethnology | Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy | State-wise official-language compilation)