Mangaluru : The first Konkani Study Chair of the State will be inaugurated at Mangalore University on June 12.

The State government has already released Rs two crores to the university, which was sanctioned in the 2015-16 budget.

Higher Education and Tourism Minister R V Deshpande would participate in the programme.

Briefing reporters, at Mangaluru Press Club here, on Tuesday, Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy President Roy Castelino said though more than 25 lakh people speak Konkani in Karnataka there was no study chair or research division for Konkani in any university of the Karnataka.

After an effort by Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy and other Konkani organisations, the government had sanctioned the Study Chair and released Rs 2 crore.

Various cultural, literature and educational programmes can be organised through the Study Chair. The academy and Konkani organisations will support Mangalore University in this regard, he said.

Konkani Chair Foundation Committee Member Basti Vaman Shenoy opined that the Study Chair would help a lot in promoting research in Konkani language and it can be an apex body.

Including online courses, correspondence and postal education will be promoted through the centre. Meanwhile, it was informed that a committee has been formed in the chairmanship Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof K Byrappa to chalk-out plans about programmes under the Study Chair.

Meanwhile, Roy Castelino said to promote Konkani education, the academy has appointed Konkani ambassadors to Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada (Karwar) and Udupi districts.

Raghavendra Rao, Prof G Venkatesh Pai and Ullas Kamath have been appointed as the ambassadors of DK, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts. These ambassadors will visit all educational institutions of the respective districts and check the scope to teach Konkani and study the progress in Konkani teaching.

They can convene meeting with academy, teachers and parents, he said. Academy Coordinator Lawrence D’Souza, Registrar Dr B Devdas Pai, Committee Members M P Noronha and Amruth Shenoy were present.