Karnataka thinking of officially recognising Kannada flag: Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar

The Kannada flag is a state symbol connected with Kannada identity, culture and heritage. Karnataka’s government wants official recognition for it, while ensuring that the national flag is respected. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar called it a beacon of Kannadigas’ emotions and linked it with equality, peace and Kannada knowledge.

In 2018, an expert committee recommended a horizontal tricolour of yellow, white and red. It included Gandaberunda, the mythical bird that is Karnataka’s emblem, at the centre. The Siddaramaiah-led government approved that design and sent it to the Centre. Shivakumar now said, “There will be no addition,” while pointing to Kannada and yellow, and described the current Kannada flag as the one accepted by people and the government.

The final design and legal status are still unresolved. The proposal will return for discussion in the Cabinet and the winter legislature session at Belagavi. Legal experts will examine how recognition can happen without dishonouring the national flag or violating its rules.

The proposal is broader than simply allowing people to display the Kannada flag. Karnataka wants official recognition for a state flag, legal protection for it, and legislation supporting its hoisting alongside the national flag. The government also wants to decide how the flag can be displayed without breaking national-flag rules.

The article gives three practical measures. Kannada flags will be hoisted in all government offices. The government is considering making them compulsory in institutions supported by the State Government. It also plans to issue an order enabling private institutions to fly the flag. These measures are separate from the larger question of formal legal recognition.

The proposal is not final. The Cabinet will discuss official status again, and the matter is scheduled for the winter legislature session beginning November 30 at Belagavi. Legal experts are examining the available options. The government says it wants recognition without dishonouring the national flag or violating the rules governing it.

Kannada is the central language and cultural identity behind the proposal, but the article does not provide a speaker census or an estimate of Karnataka’s affected population. It also gives no number for government offices, government-supported institutions or private institutions. Therefore, an exact scale cannot be calculated from the source.

The potential institutional reach is nevertheless broad. The government says Kannada flags will be hoisted in all government offices. It is considering compulsory display in institutions supported by the State Government. A proposed order would enable private institutions to fly the flag. Those categories could include many workplaces and educational or public institutions, but the article supplies no numerical breakdown.

For wider context, India’s 2011 Census recorded Kannada as the mother tongue of about 43.7 million people nationwide. That figure is not a Karnataka-only total and is not stated in the article. The article’s firm position is narrower: the policy could affect all government offices and extend to State-supported and private institutions.

Karnataka sent its earlier state-flag proposal to the Union Government because the proposal was understood to require an amendment to the Flag Code. That Code governs matters connected with the national flag. The State therefore could not simply introduce the design as an officially recognised flag without addressing the national rules.

In 2018, the Siddaramaiah-led State Government approved a horizontal yellow, white and red tricolour. The Gandaberunda, a mythical bird and Karnataka’s emblem, appeared in the centre. The design followed a recommendation from an expert committee created by the Kannada and Culture Department. The proposal was then sent to the Centre for consideration.

The Ministry of Home Affairs turned it down. The article does not state a detailed reason for the rejection. It says only that the proposal was rejected after being sent because the issue involved the Flag Code. Shivakumar now wants another legal examination and a renewed political discussion, rather than necessarily adding a new design.

The Flag Code of India is the national framework for displaying and handling the Indian flag. It sets standards intended to protect the flag’s dignity and regulate its use by institutions and the public. In this dispute, it matters because Karnataka wants a state flag to be displayed alongside the national flag.

The article says Karnataka’s 2018 proposal was sent to the Centre because it required an amendment to the Flag Code. It also says the Ministry of Home Affairs rejected that proposal. Shivakumar now says legal experts are examining options that would officially recognise the Kannada flag without dishonouring the national flag or violating rules related to it.

The source does not specify the Code’s detailed rules about relative position, size or placement of multiple flags. It therefore cannot establish exactly how a Kannada flag would have to be displayed. The immediate mechanism is legal review, followed by Cabinet and legislative discussion. Any final arrangement would need to fit the national framework or obtain the necessary change.

If Karnataka adopts the proposed measures, the Kannada flag would become more visible across public institutions. The government says it will hoist the flag in all government offices. It is also considering compulsory display in institutions supported by the State Government. These steps would give the flag an official presence in publicly connected spaces.

The private sector would be treated differently. The government plans to issue an order enabling private institutions to fly the Kannada flag. “Enable” indicates permission or legal facilitation, not an announced compulsory requirement. The article does not specify which private institutions would be covered, how often the flag would be flown, or what penalties might apply.

The wider consequence depends on decisions still pending. The Cabinet will revisit official status, and the winter legislature session will discuss the issue. Legislation could seek legal protection and support hoisting alongside the national flag. However, any final rule would need to address the Flag Code and avoid dishonouring the national flag.

India’s federal system divides public authority between the Union Government and the States. State governments can shape policies connected with their territory, administration, language and culture. The Union Government handles national matters and the rules governing national symbols. State action must remain within the Constitution and applicable national laws.

The Kannada-flag proposal illustrates that division. Karnataka can discuss legislation, issue administrative orders and organise cultural programmes. It can also decide how government offices and State-supported institutions operate, subject to legal limits. But the article says the earlier flag design was sent to the Centre because it required an amendment to the Flag Code. The Ministry of Home Affairs rejected it.

That means Karnataka’s cultural message does not automatically create national legal recognition. The Cabinet and legislature may renew the proposal, while legal experts examine a workable route. The State wants the flag displayed alongside the national flag, but the final arrangement must respect national-flag rules. The article does not say what the Centre’s next response will be.