KDA Chairman Highlights Outdated Data, Regional Imbalances in India's Language Policy Framework

Purushothama Bilimale, chairman of the Kannada Development Authority, addressed critical gaps in India's language policy framework at a national seminar in Mangaluru. He highlighted that India continues to rely on outdated linguistic data, nearly two decades old, hampering effective policy formulation.

Bilimale pointed out stark constitutional imbalances, noting that while India recognizes 19,569 mother tongues, only 22 languages appear in the Eighth Schedule, with just four being Dravidian languages compared to 18 from North India. He criticized governance disparities, where Hindi falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs while other languages are managed separately, with limited representation for non-Hindi speakers in constitutional committees.

The chairman warned of demographic shifts threatening regional representation. Based on fertility rate differences, northern states could command nearly 625 Lok Sabha seats post-2028 delimitation, compared to around 185 for southern states. This could significantly impact linguistic and regional balance in India's democracy.

Bilimale also expressed concern over declining language proficiency, citing 1.6 lakh Kannada failures in Karnataka's 2025 SSLC examinations.