Vidhi Codex

The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020

The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020

General20204 sections

The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020, designates Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi, and English as the official languages for governance and legislative affairs in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Operating under the authority of the Lieutenant Governor, the law applies to all official administrative and legislative work within the region. This legislation matters because it recognizes the territory's linguistic diversity by expanding its official languages beyond Urdu to include widely spoken regional tongues. It also mandates the promotion of other local languages like Gojri, Pahari, and Punjabi, making government communications and proceedings more inclusive and accessible.

Start reading →Read full ActSections
  1. 1. Short title, extent and commencement.
  2. 2. Definitions.
  3. 3. Official languages of Union territory.
  4. 4. Promotion and development of regional languages.

PDF: pending for this language.