Kerala Guv signs Bill making Malayalam sole official language of state

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Wednesday signed the Malayalam Language Bill, 2025 , officially making Malayalam the sole administrative language of the state. The legislation, a culmination of years of debate and revisions, received the final assent after the Assembly passed it in October 2025, replacing the existing Kerala Official Languages Act of 1969.

The new law mandates the use of Malayalam across government administration, education, public communication, commerce, the judiciary and digital platforms , while retaining English versions of official documents to ensure accessibility and clarity. Bills and ordinances will be introduced in Malayalam, with English translations provided where necessary. Courts will also begin a phased translation of judgments and proceedings to make legal processes more accessible to the public.

One of the most debated aspects of the Bill is its impact on education. Under the new law, Malayalam is compulsory as the first language from Classes 1 to 10 in all government and aided schools. The Bill also calls for expanded Malayalam instruction in university curricula, PSC examinations and competitive tests , and includes measures to promote the language across higher education and public service recruitment.

To address concerns about linguistic rights, the legislation includes a non‑obstante clause to safeguard minority languages. In notified areas, speakers of Tamil, Kannada, Tulu and Konkani are guaranteed the right to use their mother tongues for official correspondence with government offices and receive replies in those languages. Students from other states and foreign countries whose mother tongue is not Malayalam are exempt from writing the language examination in Classes 9, 10, and at the higher secondary level.

Despite these assurances, the Bill had faced strong objections from the neighbouring state of Karnataka and related bodies earlier this year. The Karnataka Border Areas Development Authority (KBADA) argued that the law, particularly the mandatory first language provision, could disadvantage Kannada‑speaking minorities in Kerala’s Kasaragod district and violate constitutional protections for linguistic and educational rights. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah described the Bill’s compulsions as an “attack on linguistic freedom,” urging Kerala to adopt a less coercive approach.

Officials noted that the Bill replaces decades of policy debate on language use in Kerala’s administration and education systems. Cultural leaders and language advocates had long supported stronger recognition of Malayalam, and with the Act now in force the state is preparing for implementation of new measures in the coming months .