Bangalore: construction of an independent Kannada Classical Language and Research Centre in Bangalore is likely to begin soon at the Jnanabharathi campus of Bangalore University, where the government has identified a three-acre plot.

The union ministry of culture accorded Kannada the classical language tag on October 31, 2008. CIIL was made the nodal agency to coordinate with all those working to develop Kannada, including the department of Kannada and culture, the Kannada Development Authority, universities across the state and the Kannada Sahitya Academy.

Initially, the special wing was set up at CIIL to research, document, propagate and teach Kannada but it failed to make any progress on the front. Major functions of the centre had been hampered due to absence of a director and a board. Consequently, the central government was giving only Rs 1 crore to Karnataka and that too was returned. In comparison, Tamil Nadu was getting Rs 75 crore for its independent Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT).