#THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT, 2020 
__________ 

##ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 

###SECTIONS 

1. Short title, extent and commencement. 
2. Definitions. 
3. Official languages of Union territory. 
4. Promotion and development of regional languages. 
 
 
 
#THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT, 2020

##ACT 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  date1  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.