Assam Makes Assamese Mandatory for All Official Government Communication

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that Assamese will be the compulsory official language for all government notifications, orders, acts, and related documents across the state, starting from this Bohag (Assamese New Year).

Making the announcement, CM Sarma stated, “Beginning this Bohag, Assamese will be the compulsory official language for all government notifications, orders, acts, etc., across Assam. In the districts of Barak Valley and BTR, Bengali and Bodo languages shall be used, respectively.”

A notification issued by the Governor outlines the following directives:

1. Assamese will be mandatorily used in all official government work.
2. In Barak Valley districts, Bengali will be used alongside English for official purposes.
3. In the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Bodo will be used in addition to English.
4. All central government communications must be translated into Assamese — and into Bodo or Bengali where applicable — within 30 days of receipt.
5. Existing legacy documents such as acts, rules, and regulations will be translated into Assamese, Bodo, or Bengali over a two-year period, in a phased manner.
6. Language departments of universities will assist with translation work.
7. In case of ambiguity or legal interpretation, the English version of the documents will take precedence.

The decision aims to strengthen the use of regional languages in governance while accommodating linguistic diversity in specific regions.