The JAMMU AND KASHMIR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT, 2020

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT, 2020
(Act No. 23 of 2020)
THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES
ACT, 2020
(Act No. 23 of 2020)
CONTENTS
Section.
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Definitions.
3. Official languages of Union territory.
4 Promotion and development of regional languages.
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OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT, 2020 383
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT, 2020 385
THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES
ACT, 2020
(Act No. 23 of 2020)
[Received the assent of the President of India on 26th September, 2020
and published in the Gazette of India dated 27th 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 there-
with 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 ter-
ritory 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 :
386 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT, 2020
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 Ad-
ministrator 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.
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