Kannada Rajyotsava: Konkani, Tulu and Kodava find place in academics, but there aren’t many takers for such courses

Non-Kannada languages like Konkani, Tulu, Kodava, and Beary are being taught in schools and colleges in Karnataka, but lack of job opportunities limits students from opting for them. Konkani and Tulu are taught from Classes VI to X, while Kodava and Beary are taught at higher education levels. About 400 students study Konkani, 1,859 study Tulu, and 47 study Kodava. Beary is yet to be introduced, but syllabus is ready. Despite 20 lakh people speaking Beary, job opportunities are limited.

While the drive has been to ensure primacy to Kannada in education, some of the non-Kannada languages spoken in various regions of Karnataka have also entered schools and colleges in recent years. Konkani and Tulu are being taught at both school and college levels, while Kodava has emerged as a subject of study at higher education. Beary is yet to make inroads into the academics.

However, though these languages are spoken by a large number of people, not many students opt for their study due to lack of job opportunities with their UG or postgraduate degree.

Though Konkani was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in 1992, it was introduced as the third optional language in schools in the coastal districts (Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada) from Classes VI to X from 2007-08. 

The University Evening College in Mangaluru, which is a constituent college of Mangalore University, introduced postgraduation in Konkani from 2016-17. Seven students have enrolled for postgraduation in the college for 2023-24. About 50 students have passed out of the college with MA degree in Konkani since the introduction of the course, says Jayavantha Nayak, co-ordinator, Konkani Adhyayana Peetha at the university. 

B. Devdas Pai, a former co-ordinator, Postgraduate Studies in Konkani at the college and who was also a former Registrar of Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, said that not more than 400 students are now enrolled to study Konkani in schools from Class VI to Class X. About 100 students appeared for the Konkani in SSLC every year. 

Milagres College and St. Aloysius College in Mangaluru teach Konkani as a language paper at the undergraduation level. “Konkani has not been introduced as a language at the pre-university level as the Department of School Education and Literacy insists that at least 500 students who have taken Konkani as the third optional language paper will have to pass out SSLC every year,” Mr. Pai told The Hindu.

Tulu is being taught as the third optional language in schools in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts from Classes VI to X since 2010-11. It was introduced at the postgraduation level (MA) at the University Evening College from 2018-19.