DK DC orders Kannada mandatory on all shop, hotel, and office signboards

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Feb 3, 2026: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Darshan HV has directed that all commercial establishments—including shops, companies, offices, and hotels—must display their names in Kannada.

Addressing the Dakshina Kannada District Kannada Awareness Committee meeting at the DC office on Monday, Darshan emphasized that local authorities and gram panchayats should make Kannada signboards a mandatory condition while granting trade licenses to businesses. He instructed that strict verification should be conducted to ensure compliance.

The DC also advised that public authorities place information on various signboards in Kannada and directed banks to provide application forms in Kannada. Names of English-medium schools and colleges should also appear in Kannada on their signboards. Additionally, private buses must display town names in Kannada on their boards. Municipal authorities have been asked to ensure that shops in city malls display their names in Kannada.

During the meeting, members of the District Kannada Awareness Committee highlighted challenges such as the closure of Kannada-medium schools in rural areas due to teacher shortages. They also raised concerns about the employment of out-of-state workers in some businesses while local candidates are overlooked. Members stressed that nationalized banks should provide deposit and withdrawal forms in Kannada, and pointed out that lack of Kannada-speaking staff in rural branches hinders banking transactions for locals.

Dr. M.P. Srinath, president of the Dakshina Kannada District Kannada Sahitya Parishat, urged the government to grant land for constructing a district-level Kannada Bhavana in the city.

The meeting was attended by Additional DC Raju K., City Development Plan Director Dr. Santosh Kumar G., Director of Industries Gokuldas Nayak, District Gazetteer B.A. Khader Shah, Assistant Director of the Department of Kannada and Culture Rajesh G., and members of the District Kannada Awareness Committee including Deviprasad, Rajshekhar Ajri, Rajesh Disouza, Divakar Das, and Hasainar Talittanuji.