Make Kannada mandatory on apartment signboards in Bengaluru, says Kannada Development Authority chairman

Prof. Purushottama Bilimale, chairman of the Kannada Development Authority (KDA), has urged the state government to make the use of Kannada mandatory on the signboards of flats and residential complexes in Bengaluru, besides requiring its use within their administrative systems.

Prof. Bilimale urged Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to give meaning to the 71st Kannada Rajyotsava by enforcing such a rule.

In a letter to the minister, Prof. Bilimale noted that many residential complexes in Bengaluru have English names and their signboards are entirely in English. He sought effective implementation of the rule enshrined in the Kannada Comprehensive Language Development Act, 2022, which requires 60% of the space on signboards to be in Kannada and 40% in English.

He further emphasized that preference should be given to the use of Kannada in notices, circulars, notices and administrative matters of the Residents Protection Association. He called for the government to issue a special notification mandating the use of Kannada in these contexts.

Prof. Bilimale recalled a directive issued to the then commissioner of the Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) during a review meeting on the implementation of Kannada in 2025, which called for a large-scale campaign to teach the language to non-Kannadigas living in flats. He further suggested that the effort would become even more meaningful if a circular was issued mandating that all flats in Bengaluru celebrate Kannada Rajyotsava.

Published – 28 Oct 2026 21:59 IST