MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE
(Legislative Department)
New Delhi, the 27th September, 2020/Asvina 5, 1942 (Saka)
The following Act of Parliament received the assent of the President on the 26th September, 2020 and is hereby published for general information:—
THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT, 2020
NO. 23 OF 2020
[26th September, 2020.]
An Act to provide for the languages to be used for the official purposes of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Seventy-first Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
(1) This Act may be called the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020.
(2) It extends to the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint:
Provided that the Administrator may appoint different dates for different areas in the Union territory.
2. Definitions.
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “Administrator” means the Lieutenant Governor of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir appointed by the President under article 239 of the Constitution;
(b) “Union territory” means the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
3. Official languages of Union territory.
With effect from such date as the Administrator may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint in this behalf, the Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi and English languages shall be the official languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of the Union territory:
Provided that the English language may continue to be used, for those administrative and legislative purposes, in the Union territory for which it was being used before the commencement of this Act:
Provided further that the business in the Legislative Assembly of the Union territory shall be transacted in the official language or languages of the Union territory.
4. Promotion and development of regional languages.
(1) The Administrator may, for the promotion and development of regional languages of the Union territory, take necessary steps to strengthen the existing institutional mechanisms such as the Academy of Art, Culture and languages in the Union territory.
(2) The institutional mechanisms referred to in sub-section (1) shall make special efforts for the promotion and development of Gojri, Pahari and Punjabi languages.
DR. G. NARAYANA RAJU,
Secretary to the Govt. of India.
