By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 27: The Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026, has received the assent of Governor Chandrashekhar H. Vijayashankar, paving the way for Khasi and Garo to be recognised as official languages of the state alongside English, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma informed on Monday.
Sangma said the ordinance would strengthen the long-standing aspiration for inclusion of Khasi and Garo in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
“This will further strengthen our aspirations to have Khasi and Garo recognised under the Eighth Schedule. I thank Governor C.H. Vijayashankar ji for giving his assent to this very important Ordinance,” Sangma said in a post on X.
The Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026 (Ordinance No. 1 of 2026), promulgated by the Governor on Monday has been published in the Extraordinary Gazette of Meghalaya for general information.
The ordinance seeks to provide for the languages to be used for official purposes of the state and for matters connected thereto. It was promulgated under Article 213(1) of the Constitution of India, as the State Legislative Assembly is not in session.
As per the provisions of the ordinance, English, Khasi and Garo will be used as official languages for all or any official purposes of the state, from a date to be notified by the government.
However, English will continue to be used in all civil and criminal courts, and proceedings of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly will continue as per the Meghalaya State Legislature (Continuance of the English Language) Act, 1980.
The ordinance further empowers the state government to specify, through notifications, the use of one or more official languages for different administrative levels and regions.
It provides for the use of English and Khasi in district, sub-divisional and block-level offices in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills Division, and English and Garo in similar offices in the Garo Hills Division. English will continue to be used for inter-district communication.
It also clarifies that the rights of various linguistic groups with respect to the medium of instruction in educational institutions, as guaranteed under the Constitution, will remain unaffected.
With the promulgation of the new ordinance, the Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005, has been repealed.
Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the repealed Act or Rules made thereunder shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the corresponding provisions of the ordinance.
