The School Education and Literacy Department has directed all schools, including unaided private institutions, to celebrate the 70th Karnataka Rajyotsava
Karnataka has made Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations compulsory in government, aided and unaided primary and high schools on November 1. The directive applies despite the Sunday holiday, prompting concerns about student attendance and teachers’ weekly rest.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka School Education and Literacy Department has directed schools across the state, including unaided private institutions, to celebrate the 70th Karnataka Rajyotsava on November 1, 2026.
The department issued a circular instructing government, aided and unaided primary and high schools to organise the celebrations on the designated date. The directive states that state festivals cannot be postponed because they fall on a holiday.
The order has raised concerns among school managements because November 1 falls on a Sunday this year. School representatives have questioned how the celebrations will be organised when students and teachers would ordinarily have a weekly holiday.
Karnataka Rajyotsava Marks 70 Years of State Unification
Kannada Rajyotsava, also known as Karnataka Formation Day, is observed every year on November 1 to commemorate the unification of Kannada-speaking regions in 1956.
Under the States Reorganisation Act, Kannada-speaking areas from the former princely state of Mysore, Bombay Presidency, Madras Presidency and Hyderabad State were brought together to form Mysore State on November 1, 1956.
The state was officially renamed Karnataka on November 1, 1973. The unification movement, known as Karnataka Ekikarana, was supported by writers, freedom fighters and political leaders, including Aluru Venkata Rao, who is popularly known as the Kannada Kula Purohita.
The 2026 observance marks 70 years since the 1956 unification.
Karnataka Rajyotsava 2026 Focuses on Kannada Language and Culture
The supplied information does not identify a single officially declared theme word for Karnataka Rajyotsava 2026. The stated focus is the 70-year milestone of the state's linguistic unification.
The themes associated with this year's celebrations include:
- 70 Years of Unity: Commemorating the integration of Kannada-speaking regions into a single state in 1956.
- “Namma Karnataka, Namma Hemme”: The phrase means “Our Karnataka, Our Pride” and emphasises Kannada language, cultural identity and respect for the state's diverse communities, including Tulu, Kodava and Konkani speakers.
- Cultural Participation in Schools: Encouraging students to participate in activities highlighting Karnataka's language, heritage, folk dances, music and historical figures.
The education department's directive places responsibility on schools to conduct the celebrations on November 1 despite the weekly holiday.
Sunday Holiday Raises Concerns Among Karnataka Schools
School managements have expressed concerns about requiring students to attend programmes on a Sunday. A Bengaluru government school headmaster said parents might be unwilling to send their children to school on their weekly holiday.
The headmaster also pointed out that teachers were due to receive their Sunday holiday after a prolonged five-month Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The directive has therefore raised questions about student participation, school arrangements and teachers' weekly rest. However, the department has instructed schools to observe Karnataka Rajyotsava on the designated date rather than postpone the celebrations because of the Sunday holiday.
