Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar addressed a press conference after completion of cabinet meeting at Praja Soudha, in Mangaluru on September 18, 2026.
| Photo Credit: H S MANJUNATH
1. Karnataka government decides to accord second official language status to Tulu for Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts
Fulfilling a long-pending demand of the people of coastal Karnataka, the government in its Mangaluru Cabinet meeting on September 18, decided to accord the additional official language status to Tulu language, widely spoken in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
Making this announcement after the marathon three-hour Cabinet meeting at Praja Soudha, the district office complex here, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the status would be applicable for administrative matters in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts while the respective district administrations would be the implementing agencies.
The government would release ₹82 lakh annually for translation, training and language usage purposes, he added. The Chief Minister said he would not comment on why earlier governments did not take this decision. “We do not do politics on sentiments, but on improving people’s life,” he said.
2. Kodava Sahitya Academy seeks review of references to community’s origin, attire in CBSE textbook
The Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy has sought a review of references to the origin and traditional attire of the Kodava community in Chapter II “Coorg” of the Glimpses of India, a Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class X English textbook. In a letter to the Chairperson and members of the CBSE Text Committee, Academy president Ajjinikanda C. Mahesh Nachaiah identified the passages in question.
Mr. Nachaiah said the textbook states: “The fiercely independent people of Coorg are possibly of Greek or Arabic descent.” It also says: “As one story goes, a part of Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled here when return became impractical.” The textbook also refers to “the theory of Arab origin” and states that the traditional Kodava attire, particularly the kuppia, resembles the “kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds”.
3. Bengaluru: 13-year-old boy abducted for ransom, murdered by neighbour in bid to pay off debt
A 13-year-old boy was allegedly abducted for a ransom and murdered by his neighbour in Bengaluru on September 16, police said. The accused, identified as Bhaskar Reddy, 28, has been arrested by the Chikkajala police. Reddy allegedly abducted the boy at Yelahanka and murdered him near a construction site in Bagalur. The crime came to light after his car was involved in an accident.
According to the police, Reddy had returned from London a few months ago after completing his master’s degree. He had joined a private company in Whitefield in its finance section. A preliminary probe revealed that Reddy hatched the abduction-murder plan to demand a ransom from his neighbour so that he could repay his family’s debt, according to a senior police officer.
4. Bagalkot DHO suspended days after daughter caught in government job-PG course scam
The Karnataka government has issued an order suspending Rajkumar Yaragal, District Health and Family Welfare Officer, Bagalkot, on the charges of negligence and dereliction of duty. The doctor is the brother-in-law of Congress MLA Umesh Meti. Gurudatt Hegde, Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare Department, issued the order based on a preliminary inquiry report.
According to the report, Dr. Yaragal violated some rules in the Karnataka civil services rules, and was negligent in implementing government projects and programmes. He also faces allegations of allowing his daughter to receive the salary of a contractual health officer in the Namma Clinic in Bagalkot while being enrolled as a full-time PG student in a private medical College.
Published – September 18, 2026 07:50 pm IST
