The Kerala Official Languages Act, 1969 (No.7 of 1969)

THE KERALA OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT, 1969 
[Act No. 7 of 1969] 
CONTENTS 
Sections 
1. Short title and commencement. 
1A. Malayalam and English to be the official languages of the State. 
1B.   Government’s power to notify the official purposes for which Malayalam or English 
to be used. 
1C.   Notification issued under section 1 B  to be placed before the Legislative Assembly. 
2. Language to be used in Bills, etc. 
3.  Special provisions in respect of linguistic minorities. 
 
THE KERALA OFFICIAL LANGUAGE1[S] ACT, 1969* 
[Act No. 7 of 1969] 
 
2[An Act to provide for the adoption of Malayalam and English as the languages to be used 
for the official purposes of the State of Kerala.] 
3[Preamble.- Whereas it is expedient to provide for the adoption of Malayalam and 
English as the languages to be used for the official purposes of the State of Kerala and to 
provide for the adoption of Malayalam also as a language to be used in Bills introduced in, 
or Acts passed by, the Legislature of the State of Kerala or in Ordinances  promulgated by 
the Governor or in subordinate legislation.] 
BE it enacted in the Nineteenth Year of the Republic of India as follows: 
1. Short title and commencement .-4[(1) This Act may be called the Kerala Official 
Languages Act, 1969.] 
(2) It shall come into force at once. 
5[1 A. Malayalam and English to be the official languages of the State. -Without prejudice 
to the provisions of articles 346 and 347 of the Constitution, Malayalam and English shall be 
the languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of the State. 
1 B.   Government’ s power to notify the official purposes for which Malayalam or English 
to be used. -The Government may, by notification issued from time to time, direct that 
Malayalam or English shall be used in resp ect of such official purposes as may be specified 
in the notification. 
1 C.   Notification issued under section 1 B  to be placed before the Legislative Assembly.-
Every  notification issued under section 1 B shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is issued, 
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 immediatel y following, the 
Legislative Assembly makes any modification in the notification or decides that the 
                                                
1Substituted by Act 15 of 1973. 
*Received the assent of the Governor on the  ..th day of February , 1969 and published in the Gazette Extraordinary dated 
19th February , 1969. 
2Substituted by Act 15 of 1973. 
3Substituted by Act 15 of 1973. 
4Substituted by Act 15 of 1973. 
5Inserted by Act 15 of 1973. 
notification  should not be issued, the notification 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 notification.] 
2. Language to be used in Bills, etc.- The language to be used in - 
(1) Bills to be introduced or amendment the reto to be moved in the Legislative 
Assembly of the State of Kerala; 
(2) Acts passed by the Legislature of the State of Kerala; 
(3) Ordinances promulgated by the Governor under article 213 of the Constitution; and  
(4) Orders, rules, regulations and bye -laws issued by the Government under the 
Constitution or under any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of the State of Kerala;  
shall be Malayalam or English. 
1[3.  Special provisions in respect of linguistic minorities. -Notwithstanding anything 
contained in this Act, the following special provisions shall apply in respect of linguistic 
minorities in the State, namely:- 
(a) The Tamil and Kannada minority people in the State may use their respective 
languages for their corr espondence with the State Government in the Secretariat and the 
Heads of Departments and also with all the local offices of the State Government situate in 
those areas which are declared by the Government to be linguistic minority areas for the 
purpose and replies sent in such cases shall also be in their respective minority languages.  
(b) The linguistic minorities other than Tamil and Kannada in the State may use the 
English language for their correspondence with the State Government offices and in such 
cases the replies sent to them shall be in the English language.]   
 
 
 
 
                                                
1Inserted by Act 15 of 1973. 

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