By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Meghalaya has accorded official language status to Khasi and Garo alongside English following the promulgation of the Meghalaya Official Languages Ordinance, 2026.
The ordinance received the assent of Governor C. H. Vijayashankar and was published in the Gazette of Meghalaya (Extraordinary) on April 27.
Under the ordinance, English, Khasi and Garo will be used for official purposes of the state government. English, however, will continue to be the language of proceedings in civil and criminal courts, while the functioning of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly will continue as per existing provisions.
The law also authorises the state government to specify the use of one or more official languages at different administrative levels and in particular regions. It provides for the use of English and Khasi in district, sub-divisional and block-level offices in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, and English and Garo in similar offices in the Garo Hills.
The move is seen as a step towards preserving indigenous languages and strengthening demands for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
The ordinance repeals the Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005, while safeguarding actions already taken under the previous law.