Tulu Granted Additional Official Language Status in Coastal Karnataka

Tulu Gets Additional Official Language Status in Karnataka

Why in News?

• The Karnataka Cabinet has granted Tulu the status of the second additional administrative language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. 
• Government offices in these districts can now use Tulu for official communication along with Kannada. 
• The government will provide ₹82 lakh annually for translation, training and activities related to the use of Tulu. 

About Tulu

• Tulu is one of the Dravidian languages, along with Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. 
• It is mainly spoken in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in Karnataka and parts of Kasaragod, Kerala. 
• Around 1.8–2 million people are estimated to speak Tulu as their native language. 
• Tulu has a rich oral tradition and folklore, associated with cultural practices such as Yakshagana and Bhoota Kola. 
• Historically, Tulu had its own script, known as the Tigalari script, but it is not widely used today. Kannada script is commonly used for writing Tulu. 
• The oldest available Tulu inscriptions date to around the 14th–15th centuries CE. 
• Tulu is recognised as an independent non-scheduled language of India but is not included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. 

Constitutional Provisions

• Article 345: Allows a State Legislature to adopt one or more languages in use in the state as its official language. 
• Article 347: Provides for recognition of a language spoken by a substantial section of a state’s population under specified conditions. 
• The Eighth Schedule currently includes 22 languages; Tulu is not among them. 

Significance and Challenges

• The decision can promote the use of Tulu in government communication, education, public signage and cultural activities. 
• A major challenge is the limited knowledge of the Tigalari script and the widespread use of Kannada script for Tulu. 
• The decision follows recommendations of a committee headed by educationist M. Mohan Alva, constituted in 2023 to examine Tulu language and culture. 

Practice Question

Q. With reference to the Tulu language and its recent recognition in Karnataka, consider the following statements:

1. Tulu has been granted the status of the second additional administrative language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, allowing its use in government communication alongside Kannada. 
2. Tulu is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution as one of India’s 22 scheduled languages. 
3. The Tigalari script is historically associated with Tulu, although the Kannada script is more commonly used for writing it today. 
4. Article 345 empowers a State Legislature to adopt a language in use in the state as its official language. 

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1, 3 and 4 only
 B. 1 and 2 only
 C. 2, 3 and 4 only
 D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: A. 1, 3 and 4 only

Explanation

• Tulu has been granted the second additional administrative language status in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, permitting its use in government communication alongside Kannada. Hence, Statement 1 is Correct. 
• Tulu is recognised as an independent non-scheduled language, but it is not included in the Eighth Schedule, which currently contains 22 languages. Hence, Statement 2 is Incorrect. 
• Tigalari is the traditional script associated with Tulu, while the Kannada script is more widely used for writing the language today. Hence, Statement 3 is Correct. 

Article 345 empowers the State Legislature to adopt one or more languages in use in the state as its official language. Hence, Statement 4 is Correct