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| Promoting Kannada Language: Amendments and Challenges in Karnataka |
The Karnataka state legislature has proposed the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aiming to fortify the promotion of Kannada across educational and employment sectors. This amendment builds upon the 1994 Act and the 2022 Amendment, with a focus on strengthening the integration of Kannada into higher education and private sector employment.
Kannada, spoken by approximately 40 million people predominantly in Karnataka, faces challenges due to the dominance of English. In response, the Government of Karnataka enacted the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act in 1994, making Kannada compulsory for education and official communication within the state. The 2022 Amendment extended this mandate to undergraduate education and state government jobs. However, English continued to dominate higher education and various industries, posing a threat to Kannada's usage.
Key Provisions of the 2024 Amendment Bill:
Mandatory Kannada in Higher Education:
- The Amendment Bill proposes to mandate Kannada as the language of instruction and examination in both undergraduate and postgraduate education. This addresses the predominance of English in private colleges and universities, fostering greater Kannada usage in higher research and academia.
Expansion of Employment Domain:
- Alongside state government jobs, the 2024 Bill extends Kannada language requirements to state PSUs, banks, private companies, and multinationals operating within Karnataka. This aims to broaden the scope of Kannada usage across diverse sectors.
Incentivizing Kannada Adoption:
- Unlike previous punitive measures, the 2024 Bill introduces financial incentives, tax rebates, and subsidies for organizations actively promoting Kannada through various means such as signboards, software, and documents. This approach has shown promising results in encouraging Kannada propagation.
Promotion of Kannada in Business Signage:
- The bill mandates that 60% of the signage of businesses across the state be in Kannada. This enhances the visibility and usage of the language in commercial spaces, promoting its cultural significance.
Features of the 2022 Amendment Bill:
- The 2022 bill made Kannada language education compulsory up to the undergraduate level in all schools and colleges in Karnataka. It also required government job applicants to have a working knowledge of written and spoken Kannada, with penalties for violations.
Opposition to Amendment Bill:
- Past efforts to enforce Kannada language policies have faced criticism for potentially limiting employment opportunities for ethnic minorities and creating a challenging business environment for private companies. The proposed incentives-based approach aims to address these concerns by incentivizing Kannada adoption rather than imposing strict mandates.