The Malayalam Language Act, 2025

Short title and commencement.

1. (1) This Act may be called the Malayalam Language Act, 2025.
2. (2) It shall come into force at once.

Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

1. (a) “authorised officer” means Secretary to the Government in charge of the administration of this Act or such officer as may be authorised by him;
2. (b) “first language” means the language which shall compulsorily be taught as part of linguistics;
3. (c) “Government” means the Government of Kerala;
4. (d) “linguistic minorities” means the people who traditionally use Tamil and Kannada languages for communication and who domiciled in areas declared as linguistic minority in the State of Kerala;
5. (e) “official language” means the language used for official communication in the State;
6. (f) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
7. (g) “State” means State of Kerala.

Malayalam Language Development Department and Malayalam Language Development Directorate.

1. (1) The existing Personnel and Administrative Reforms (Official Language) Department in the Government Secretariat shall be renamed as the Malayalam Language Development Department.
2. (2) The Government shall constitute a Malayalam Language Development Directorate under the control of the Department under sub-section (1), by re-deploying the officers of various department of the Government and such Directorate shall perform the duties, as may be prescribed.

Legislative Sector.

1. (1) Subject to the Official Languages Act, 1963 (Central Act 19 of 1963), in relation to the law making in the State,—
   • (i) in Bills to be introduced in, and in Acts passed by, the Kerala Legislative Assembly;
   • (ii) in all Ordinances promulgated by the Governor of Kerala under Article 213 of the Constitution of India;
   • (iii) in all orders, rules, regulations or bye-laws issued by the Government under the Constitution of India, or under any law made by the Parliament or the Kerala Legislative Assembly the language to be used shall be Malayalam and when Malayalam language is so used, a translation thereof in English shall also be published.
2. (2) Important Central Acts and State Acts published in English shall be translated into Malayalam, incorporating amendments made therein, within such period, as may be prescribed.
3. (3) The rules made under enactments and published in English shall also be published in Malayalam within such period as may be prescribed.

Official Language Sector.

1. (1) Subject to Articles 346 and 347 of the Constitution of India, the language to be used for all official purposes in the State of Kerala shall be Malayalam.
2. (2) Sub-section
3. (1) shall be applicable to all existing Departments and all Departments to be newly constituted under the State Government and Local Self Government Institutions and Quasi-Governmental Institutions, Autonomous, Co-operative, Public sector Undertakings under the Government: Provided that English may be used for correspondence with the Government of India, Institutions under the Government of India, foreign countries, other States, High Court, Supreme Court etc., and in any other circumstances where English has to be used as provided by law and with people speaking languages other than Tamil and Kannada, the minority languages in the State.

Education and Research Sector.

1. (1) Malayalam shall be the compulsory first language in all Government and aided schools in Kerala up to the Xth Standard.
2. (2) Steps shall be taken to promote dissemination of Malayalam language in all schools in the State.
3. (3) Students whose mother tongue is any language other than Malayalam, opportunity shall be given to study Malayalam language in addition to their mother tongue.

Special provisions regarding other State-Linguistic Minorities.—Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 5 or Section 6,—

1. (1) The Tamil and Kannada linguistic minorities in the State may use their languages for their correspondence with the State Government Secretariat, Heads of Department and all local offices of the State Government situated in those areas declared by the Government to be linguistic minority areas for the purpose and replies send in such case shall be in their respective minority languages.
2. (2) Students, whose mother tongue is any language other than Malayalam may choose languages of their choice and are available in the schools of the State in accordance with the National Education Curriculum.
3. (3) With respect to students who come from other States and foreign countries to Kerala for studying, it is not compulsory to write the Malayalam examination in IXth Standard, Xth Standard and Higher Secondary Level.

Unified Script Layout.—A unified script layout shall be implemented in the manner as may be prescribed in accordance with the development of Science and Technology.

Language in the court.

1. (1) With the permission of the High Court, measures shall be taken in a phased manner, to translate all proceedings, including the judgments and language used in courts up to the District Courts into Malayalam. For that purpose, the Government shall provide required infrastructure facilities, as may be prescribed.
2. (2) A system, as may be prescribed shall be established at the district level for translating judgments into English, required for filing appeal before the High Court.
3. (3) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act, the orders or judgments of all institutions under the Government having quasi-judicial powers shall be in Malayalam Language: Provided that orders relating to linguistic minorities shall be made available in their mother tongue or English.

1. (1) The board displaying the name of the Government undertakings or autonomous bodies, co-operative and public undertakings, name of the officers and designations and the boards used in the vehicles under the control of such institutions shall also be in Malayalam and in English as may be prescribed.
2. (2) The first half of boards displaying the names of commercial-industrial and business undertakings, trusts, counselling centres, hospitals, laboratories, amusement centres and hotels functioning with the approval and sanction of Government or Local Self Government Institutions, shall be in Malayalam and the second half shall be in English.
3. (3) The particulars displayed on the boards erected under the supervision of various departments in Government, quasi-government and co-operative institutions and Local Self Government Institutions of the State, shall be in Malayalam. If necessary, such boards may be displayed in English or in other language as may be prescribed.
4. (4) The boards erected in relation to works carried out, by accepting consideration from the Government or Local Self Government Institutions shall be displayed giving prominence to Malayalam.
5. (5) Boards, advertisements, bills, notices etc. in connection with any project under the Government or implemented, with any kind of consideration, grant, concession from Government or allied Institutions or Local Self Government Institutions shall be in Malayalam.
6. (6) In all industrial products manufactured and sold in the State, the name of the products and directions for its use shall also be in Malayalam.
7. (7) Advertisements and notifications issued by the Government intended for publication within Kerala shall be in Malayalam: Provided that such advertisements may be published in the respective language if necessary in the medias published in other languages.
8. (8) The pamphlets, informations, notices etc. of programmes conducted by Government shall be made available in Malayalam.
9. (9) A fixed percentage of the size of the boards, displaying advertisements and notices published for the information of the general public, in the State, and the Government advertisements published in newspapers, periodicals etc. in the State shall be in Malayalam. For this purpose, the classification of advertisements, the number/percentage of portions of advertisements to be displayed in Malayalam shall be, in such manner as may be prescribed. Except where the use of English is essential, the advertisement shall be in Malayalam: Provided that advertisements, intimations, boards and notices published for the information of the Tamil and Kannada linguistic minority areas shall also be published in the minority language of the respective area.

1. (1) Information Technology Department shall take initiatives to develop in the prescribed manner, open source software and accessories for the efficient use of Malayalam language in the field of Information Technology.
2. (2) The information in the websites of various departments of Government, Quasi-Governmental Institutions, Public Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies, Co-operative Societies shall also be made available in Malayalam as well, the default page shall be in Malayalam and the website shall be equipped for selecting the language to be used therein.
3. (3) The facility shall be made available for the use of Malayalam in the e-governance projects (including mobile governance) being implemented in the Government departments.

Scheme shall be formulated for providing incentives to persons who provide creative suggestions to the Government for the effective dissemination of Malayalam language in the field of Information Technology also.

The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to the provisions of existing laws and shall not have overriding effect.

1. (1) The Government may, by notification in the Gazette, make rules, either prospectively or retrospectively, for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
2. (2) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before the Legislative Assembly while it is in session for a total period of fourteen days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, the Legislative Assembly makes any modification in the rule or decides that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so however that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.

1. (1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the Government may, by order published in the Gazette, make provisions not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act which appear to be necessary or expedient, for removing the difficulty: Provided that no such order shall be made after the expiry of a period of two years from the date of commencement of this Act.
2. (2) Every order made under sub-section
3. (1) shall, as soon as may be after it is made, be laid before the Legislative Assembly.

1. (1) The Kerala Official Languages Act, 1969 (7 of 1969) is hereby repealed.
2. (2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the said Act shall be deemed to have been done or taken under this Act.