Karnataka recognises Tulu as official language in two districts

Karnataka has formally recognised Tulu as an additional official language in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, a significant step for speakers of the Dravidian language concentrated in the region. The move formalises what India's Census department has long acknowledged: Tulu's status as an independent language spoken by a distinct linguistic community within the country.

The Registrar General and Census Commissioner has maintained separate statistical records for Tulu speakers since the department's inception, treating the language as a distinct linguistic entity in national demographic surveys. This official recognition has provided a documented foundation for the recent administrative decision granting it co-official status alongside Kannada in the two districts.

Tulu, primarily spoken in the coastal regions of Karnataka, has faced challenges in preservation and institutional support despite its established linguistic presence. The grant of official language status is expected to facilitate the use of Tulu in administrative proceedings, education, and public services within the affected districts, potentially strengthening its institutional position.

The decision reflects growing acknowledgment across India of regional and minority languages' cultural and linguistic importance. Several states have recently moved to grant official status to languages historically spoken in their regions, aligning administrative frameworks with ground-level linguistic reality documented through Census data.