Karnataka to Mandate Kannada in Government and Services

Karnataka's Kannada Development Authority is launching a dual initiative to preserve linguistic heritage and strengthen Kannada's role in public life. The authority will identify at least one century-old government Kannada school in each district for preservation as a heritage institution, while addressing property documentation gaps affecting 19,700 schools statewide.

Chairman Purushottama Bilimale reiterated that Kannada must be implemented mandatorily across government administration and public services. Following reviews in 24 districts covering over 1,200 departments, the authority is pushing for concrete implementation measures, including Kannada signboards at police stations and tourist sites, and Kannada-medium instruction up to class 5 in Karnataka Public Schools.

The authority is also addressing employment concerns, calling for banking recruitment exams in all 22 scheduled languages and enforcement of existing directives requiring 40% local hiring in industries on government-allotted land. Special attention is being given to training bank employees in Kannada, particularly in rural areas where language barriers affect service delivery.