It was named after the committee headed by Vinayaka Krishna Gokak, which recommended giving primacy to Kannada in state schools.
Strong opposition to Hindi was witnessed in the 1960s and '70s, leading to Kannada speakers leaning towards English.
The result was widespread protests, and Rao's government set up a committee, headed by Vinayaka Krishna Gokak.
A popular uprising supported the conclusions of the report, with actor Rajkumar assuming a leading position.
Seven people were killed by police during the protests, but the popular pressure made the government yield and adopt the committee's recommendations.