Outdated data, skewed policy weakening India’s language framework: KDA chief

Mangaluru: Purushothama Bilimale, chairman of Kannada Development Authority (KDA), on Friday flagged the absence of updated linguistic data and a growing imbalance in India's language policy framework.Speaking at the two-day national seminar, Beyond Words: The Rich Tapestry of Languages and South Indian Identities, which began at Alva's College (autonomous), Moodubidiri, Bilimale said discussions on languages continue to rely on outdated statistics, with the country lagging by nearly two decades. "In a rapidly evolving world, today's data becomes obsolete tomorrow, making it difficult to formulate effective language policies," he said.Referring to the 2011 Census, he pointed out that India has 19,569 mother tongues, while only 22 languages are included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Of these, 18 are from North India, while only four are Dravidian languages from the South, reflecting an inherent linguistic imbalance.Bilimale also highlighted disparities in language governance. Hindi comes under ministry of home affairs, while other languages are handled by ministry of human resource development, he said, adding that committees formed under Article 344(4) of the Constitution for the development of Hindi lack adequate representation from other linguistic groups.Drawing attention to demographic trends, he cited studies by Centre for Policy Research and other institutions to note that differences in fertility rates between northern and southern states could reshape parliamentary representation after the proposed delimitation in 2028. Karnataka's fertility rate stands at 1.6, compared to 2.9 in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.Based on projected population growth, Uttar Pradesh could see its Lok Sabha seats rise from 80 to 128, and Bihar from 40 to 70. Southern states are likely to see only marginal changes: Karnataka from 28 to 36, Tamil Nadu from 39 to 42, Telangana from 17 to 20, and Andhra Pradesh from 25 to 28, while Kerala may decline from 20 to 19. "This could result in northern states commanding nearly 625 Lok Sabha seats, compared to around 185 for southern states. Such a scenario raises serious questions about the balance of linguistic and regional representation in India's democracy," he said.Bilimale also pointed to a decline in language proficiency, noting that over 1.6 lakh students failed in Kannada in Karnataka's 2025 SSLC examinations.Vice-chancellor of Kannada University, Hampi, DV Paramashivamurthy, said that language should unite and integrate people inclusively. Chairman of Alva's Education Foundation, M Mohan Alva, presided.