Accept Tulu as administrative language at Panchayat levels'

October 8, 2011

Savanur, October 8: The age old culture and professions of 'Taulava' land seemed revived right atop the hill at the premises of Vidyarashmi Education Trust, where the All India Tulu Convention was held on Friday.

The venue designed to perfection, seemed like a time machine which took the participants to an era when farming, knitting baskets, making coir artifacts, pottery was the main occupation of the people here.

From this world recreated for some days, the dignitaries were brought to the venue along with 'Keelu Kudure,' 'Yakshagana,' 'Kathakali,' 'Garudi Gombe' and various other representations of folk art forms.

Speaking on the occasion, litterateur and Wurzburg Universtiy visiting professor B A Vivek Rai said, Tulu should be accepted as an administrative language at the local level. “If Tulu was accepted by administration at Gram Panchayat, Taluk Panchayat and Zilla Panchayat level, it would help many people who could not speak Kannada, and therefore could not communicate their problems to officials”, he said.

Vidyarashmi Group of Institutions President Savanur Seetharam Rai said that he had planned to have first Tulu sammelana in Savanur but it got delayed due to the Tulu Sammelana which was hosted in Ujire.

Karnataka Tulu Sahithya Academy President Palthadi Ramakrishna Achar said that the love for Tulu language had increased among Tuluvas after the Ujire Tulu Sammelan which was held in 2009.

“Tulu has now entered the portals of schools. It is being taught as third language in 6th standard and about 24,000 children in the district are learning Tulu in schools. When questions are being raised over the standard of teachers imparting Tulu lessons, Mangalore University has timely agreed to start Diploma and PG Diploma courses,” he said.

Inaugurating the programme, Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade said that Tuluvas need to interrogate themselves.

“Our culture and language is distinct. Our culture is rich and we believe in accepting people. If at all Tulu language is included in the 8th scheduled of the Constitution, then it will add to the glory of our language,” said Dr Heggade adding that even celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar have belief in the pious land of Tulunadu. “It is the divine feeling that had brought Tendulkar to bow down before Kukke Subramanya when his professional innings were dipping. After a prayer there at the pious land, he hit another 12 centuries and made a come back,” said Dr Heggade.

Minister for Power Shobha Karandalaje who presented her speech in Tulu said that every Tuluva should make their children learn Tulu in schools.

“There is a feeling among people that talking Tulu can be embarrassing. This is a wrong notion. We have to try and speak Tulu in our day to day life,” said Karandalaje.

Mangalore University Registrar K Chinnappa Gowda, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel among others were present.

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News Network
February 3,2026

Bengaluru: Following reports of fresh Nipah virus (NiV) cases in West Bengal and heightened vigilance across parts of Southeast Asia, the Karnataka Health Department has placed the state on high alert and activated emergency preparedness protocols.

Health officials said enhanced surveillance measures have been initiated after two healthcare workers in Barasat, West Bengal, tested positive for the virus earlier this month. While no cases have been reported in Karnataka so far, authorities said the state’s past exposure to Nipah outbreaks and high inter-state mobility warranted preventive action.

Officials have directed district health teams to intensify monitoring, particularly at hospitals and points of entry, and to ensure early detection and isolation of suspected cases.

High Mortality Virus with Multiple Transmission Routes

Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that can spread from animals to humans and has a reported fatality rate ranging between 60 and 75 per cent. Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are the natural reservoirs of the virus and can transmit it by contaminating food sources with saliva or urine.

Known modes of transmission include:

•    Contaminated food: Consumption of fruits partially eaten by bats or raw date-palm sap
•    Animal contact: Exposure to infected pigs or other animals
•    Human-to-human transmission: Close contact with body fluids of infected persons, particularly in healthcare settings

Symptoms and Disease Progression

The incubation period typically ranges from 4 to 14 days, though delayed onset has also been reported. Early symptoms often resemble common viral infections, making prompt clinical suspicion critical.

•    Initial symptoms: Fever, headache, body aches, fatigue, sore throat
•    Progressive symptoms: Drowsiness, disorientation, altered mental state
•    Severe stage: Seizures, neck stiffness and acute encephalitis, which can rapidly progress to coma

Public Health Advisory

The Health Department has issued precautionary guidelines urging the public to adopt risk-avoidance practices to prevent any local spillover.

Do’s
•    Wash fruits thoroughly before consumption
•    Drink boiled and cooled water
•    Use protective equipment while handling livestock
•    Maintain strict hand hygiene

Don’ts
•    Avoid fruits found on the ground or showing bite marks
•    Do not consume beverages made from raw tree sap, including toddy
•    Avoid areas with dense bat populations
•    Do not handle sick or dead animals

Preparedness Measures

Officials confirmed that isolation wards are being readied in major government hospitals and that medical staff are being sensitised to identify early warning signs.

“There is no cause for panic, but there is a need for heightened vigilance,” a senior health official said, adding that there is currently no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Nipah, and care remains largely supportive.

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News Network
January 20,2026

Mangaluru: In a major step towards strengthening rural innovation, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India is supporting the establishment of RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVCs) across the country through collaborations with academic institutions, civil society organisations and philanthropic partners.

As part of this national initiative, Nitte (Deemed to be University) will set up the first RSVCs in the region at Nitte GP in Udupi district and at the Nitte Health Centre, Sevanjali Trust, Farangipete, in Dakshina Kannada district. The centres will be inaugurated on January 21. In South India, the programme is being implemented by the Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8).

Speaking to reporters on Monday, SI-8 founder-director Vishwas US said experts from Nitte University and SI-8 would work closely with farmers, students, youth and local entrepreneurs to adapt and deploy technologies tailored to local needs.

Project head Prof Iddya Karunasagar, representing Nitte DU, said the RSVCs at Nitte and Farangipete would serve as demonstration hubs for a wide range of agriculture, energy, skill-development and assistive technologies. These include solar dryers for fruits, vegetables and crops; soil-testing solutions; power weeders and women-friendly farm tools; wind-powered devices for rural artisans; grain storage systems; grass-cutting and tree-climbing equipment; and liquid fertiliser production using cowshed waste.

SI-8 CEO Aravind C Kumar said the centres would also provide access to digital and knowledge-based platforms such as ISRO applications, government scheme portals, market linkage tools and gamified learning resources, along with assistive technologies for persons with visual impairments.

Highlighting the broader impact of the initiative, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay Kumar Sood said it demonstrated how applied research could bridge the rural–urban divide and help create self-reliant, technology-enabled villages.

The initiative has been made possible through philanthropic support from Dr NC Murthy of ACM Business Solutions, LLC, USA. Dr Sapna Poti, Director (Strategic Alliances) at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, said the long-term objective is to build self-sufficient, technology-driven communities capable of generating sustainable livelihoods on their own.

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News Network
February 1,2026

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday criticised the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, claiming it offered no tangible benefit to the state.

Though he said he was yet to study the budget in detail, Shivakumar asserted that Karnataka had gained little from it. “There is no benefit for our state from the central budget. I was observing it. They have now named a programme after Mahatma Gandhi, after repealing the MGNREGA Act that was named after him,” he said.

Speaking to reporters here, the Deputy Chief Minister demanded the restoration of MGNREGA, and made it clear that the newly enacted rural employment scheme — VB-G RAM G — which proposes a 60:40 fund-sharing formula between the Centre and the states, would not be implemented in Karnataka.

“I don’t see any major share for our state in this budget,” he added.

Shivakumar, who also holds charge of Bengaluru development, said there were high expectations for the city from the Union Budget. “The Prime Minister calls Bengaluru a ‘global city’, but what has the Centre done for it?” he asked.

He also drew attention to the problems faced by sugar factories, particularly those in the cooperative sector, alleging a lack of timely decisions and support from the central government.

Noting that the Centre has the authority to fix the minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce, Shivakumar said the Union government must take concrete steps to protect farmers’ interests.

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