Karnataka Authority Demands Kannada Teaching in Colleges

Purushotham Bilimale, Chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority, has called on the Karnataka government to enforce mandatory Kannada language instruction across all higher education institutions in the state. Despite the *Kannada Language Learning Act, 2015* requiring Kannada teaching for at least two semesters in degree, post-graduate, and engineering colleges, many private institutions have allegedly reduced instruction to one semester or even one month, while others have eliminated Kannada classes entirely and dismissed faculty.

Bilimale has objected to a June 24, 2026 recruitment notification from the Department of Technical Education that excludes positions for Kannada language teachers, calling it an "anti-Kannada attitude." He has written to the Principal Secretary of Higher Education and the Commissioner of Collegiate and Technical Education, demanding immediate action to ensure implementation of the Act, provision of a respectful service environment for Kannada teachers, and legal action against non-compliant institutions. He has also requested information on vacant Kannada teaching positions and reasons for their exclusion from recruitment.