Efforts to preserve and promote Kannada in Karnataka are prominent, but native dialects like Tulu, Kodava, and Konkani face a scarcity of teachers, potentially leading to the cessation of language transmission. In Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, 40 Tulu language teachers have not received their honorarium since the pandemic, hindering the campaign to encourage Tulu learning.

The Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy (KTSA) requires Rs 27.60 lakh to clear pending honorariums, impacting the recognition of Tulu under the eighth schedule of the Constitution.

Several schools, once teaching Tulu, have reduced to 35, with 32 schools reporting zero admissions in the sixth standard.

Teachers, despite lacking compensation, continue teaching due to students’ interest. The reduction in grants post-Covid has hindered honorarium releases, leading to financial difficulties for teachers. MLC K Harish Kumar raised the issue in the Legislative Council, where it was reported that the finance department was taking steps to release grants.

In the case of Konkani, spoken by around 22.6 lakh people, six schools with 155 students learn Kodava as a third language. The Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy provides textbooks and pays Rs 200 per hour to school teachers and Rs 300 to college lecturers.

The academy offers a postgraduate diploma course in Kodava. Arebashe, spoken by around five lakh people, faces challenges due to insufficient funds in the Karnataka Arebashe Samskruthi Mathu Sahitya Academy, impacting language introduction in colleges and schools.

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