Mangaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to issue a notification inviting opinions and objections for one month on the proposal to rename Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru.
The decision was taken at a special Cabinet meeting held in Mangaluru on Friday, September 18. The Cabinet also decided to accord Tulu the status of a second additional language in the state. The proposed district renaming will now enter a formal public consultation process before the government takes a final decision.
Proposal pending for several years
The demand to rename Dakshina Kannada as Mangaluru has been pending for several years and gained renewed attention following the state government’s decision to rename Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South.
The latest move follows a resolution passed by the Dakshina Kannada District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) in July 2025, recommending that the district be renamed Mangaluru.
At the DISHA meeting, chaired by BJP MP Capt Brijesh Chowta, Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja raised the proposal. Supporters of the demand have argued that Mangaluru is the name by which the district and the wider coastal region are widely identified.
MLAs Y Bharat Shetty, D Vedavyasa Kamath, Umanath Kotian and Bhagirathi Murulya, along with MLC Prathapsimha Nayak and other elected representatives and nominated members of the committee, supported the proposal, according to The Hindu as reported by The News Minute.
Chowta had said the resolution would be forwarded to the state government, while the district administration had indicated that it would prepare a formal proposal.
Historical and cultural arguments
Those supporting the proposed renaming have cited the wider recognition of Mangaluru and its association with the coastal region.
The Mangaluru Zilla Tulupara Horata Samithi has also supported the demand. Dayanand Kattalsar, former president of the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy, has argued that names such as South Canara and Dakshina Kannada emerged during earlier periods of colonial administration.
The Samithi has cited historical references to Mangaluru and Tulunadu while making its case. Kattalsar has also referred to traditional Paddanas, or sung narratives, which mention the region as “Mangara”. These are arguments advanced by supporters of the proposed change and do not themselves determine the government’s final decision.
Support from different political groups
The proposal has received support from leaders and representatives belonging to different political backgrounds.
The News Minute, citing The Hindu, reported that former Mangaluru City North MLA B A Mohiuddin Bava, former Mangaluru City Corporation councillor Kiran Kodical and former Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners Association president Dilraj Alva have also supported the renaming proposal.
Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyasa Kamath had also said in a statement on July 5 that renaming the district as Mangaluru would provide fresh impetus to efforts seeking greater recognition for Tulu language and identity.
The proposal has therefore been discussed not only as an administrative name-change issue but also in the context of the region’s linguistic and cultural identity.
One-month consultation process
The Cabinet’s decision does not immediately change the official name of the district.
Instead, the government will first issue a notification inviting opinions and objections for one month. The responses received during this period will form part of the consultation process before the government proceeds with the proposal.
The process is significant because the proposed change concerns the official administrative name of one of Karnataka’s districts. Until the prescribed procedure is completed and a final decision is taken, Dakshina Kannada will continue to remain the official name of the district.
The decision also comes at a time when the state government has announced several measures concerning coastal Karnataka at the special Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru, including projects related to tourism, infrastructure, fisheries and the recognition of Tulu as a second additional language.
Final decision yet to be taken
The public consultation will provide an opportunity for individuals, organisations and other stakeholders to submit their views on the proposed change from Dakshina Kannada to Mangaluru.
The Cabinet’s decision to seek opinions and objections marks the next formal step in a demand that has been discussed in the coastal region for several years. A final decision on the district’s name will depend on the outcome of the consultation and the subsequent administrative process.