MEGHALAYA STATE LANGUAGE ACT,
2005 THE MEGHALAYA STATE LANGUAGE ACT, 2005 [ Act No. 10 of 2005] [04th May, 2005] An Act to provide for the language
(s) to be used for official purposes for the State of Meghalaya. Whereas, Art. 345 of the
Constitution of India provides that the Legislature of a State may, by taw,
adopt anyone or more of the languages in use in the State as the Language to be
used for official purposes of the State and for matters connected therewith; Be it enacted by the
Legislature of the State of Meghalaya in the Fifty-fifth Year of the Republic
of India as follows:- (1)
This Act may be called the Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005 (2)
It extends to the whole of the State of Meghalaya. (3)
It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may,
by notification in the Official Gazette appoints and different dates may be
appointed for different Official purposes and for different parts of the State
of Meghalaya: Provided that the date or
dates appointed by the State Government in respect of any parts of the State of
Meghalaya shall not be later than five years from the date of the assent to
this Act. In this Act, unless there
is anything repugnant to the context- (a)
"Act" means the Meghalaya State Language Act, 2004; (b)
"Associate official language" means a language
prescribed under section 4 of the Act, or such language (s) as may be
prescribed under provision of section 5 of this Act; (c)
"Autonomous District" means an area deemed as such under
paragraph 1 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India; (d)
"District Council" means a District Council constituted
under para 2 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India; (e)
"Government" means the Government of the State of
Meghalaya; (f)
"notification" means a notification published by
Government in the Official Gazette; (g)
"Official Gazette" means the Meghalaya Gazette; and (h)
"prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this
Act. Without prejudice to the
provisions of Articles 343 and 347 of the Constitution of India and the
provisions of the Meghalaya State Legislature (continuance of the English
Language) Act, 1980 and subject to as hereinafter provided, the English
language, shall continue to be the official language of the State of Meghalaya. Notwithstanding anything
contained in Section 3, the Khasi language may be used as the associate
official language for all purposes in the District, Sub-Divisions and Block
level offices of the State Government located in the Districts of East Khasi
Hills, West Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and RiBhoi. The Garo Language may be
used as associate official language for all purposes in the districts,
Sub-Divisions and Block Level Offices of East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and
South Garo Hills: Provided that only the
English language shall continue to be used in all civil ant Criminal Courts
located in the State; Provided, further, that all
inter-district official communications shall continue to be in the English
language. Subject to the provisions
of sections of this Act, the State Government may, by notification issued from
time to lime, direct the use of the language, as may be specified in the
notification, in such pan of the State of Meghalaya as may be specified
therein: Provided that- (a)
the rights of the various linguistic groups in respect of medium
instruction in educational institution's as laid down in the Constitution of
India shall not be affected; (b)
the State shall not, in granting aid to education and cultural
institutions, discriminate against any such institutions on ground of
languages; (c)
the right of appointment to the post(s) and services and to
contract(s) shall be maintained without discrimination on the ground of
languages; and (d)
in regard to notings in the offices located in the district, if
any member of the staff is unable to record in any of the associate official
language of such district, the use of English shall be permitted so long as the
use thereof is permissible for the official purposes of the Union under any law
made by the Parliament in this behalf. The State Government may,
by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the
purposes of this Act.
Preamble - THE MEGHALAYA STATE LANGUAGE ACT, 2005PREAMBLE