The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020 |The LexSphere Library

SECTION Section 1

Untitled Section

•1

•THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES BILL, 2020

•A

•BILL

•to provide for the languages to be used for the official purposes of the Union territory of

•Jammu and Kashmir.

•BE it enacted by Parliament in the Seventy-first Year of the Republic of India.

SECTION Section 2

Untitled Section

1.(1) This Act may be called the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020.

(2)It extends to the whole of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

(3)It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification

•in the Official Gazette, appoint.

SECTION Section 3

Untitled Section

2.In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

(a)"Administrator" means the Lieutenant Governor of the Union territory of

•Jammu and Kashmir appointed by the President under article 239 of the Constitution;

(b)"Union territory" means the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

•Short title,

•extent and

commencement.

Definitions.

•Bill No. 119 of 2020

•5

•TO BE INTRODUCED IN LOK SABHA

•2

SECTION Section 4

Untitled Section

3.With effect from such date as the Administrator may, by notification in the Official

•Gazette, appoint in this behalf, the Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi and English languages

•shall be the official languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of the Union

•territory and different dates may be appointed for different areas in the Union territory:

•Provided that the English language may continue to be used, for those administrative

•and legislative purposes, in the Union territory for which it was being used before the

•commencement of this Act:

•Provided further that the business in the Legislative Assembly of the Union territory

•shall be transacted in the official language or languages of the Union territory.

•Official

•Languages of

•Union territory.

•5

•STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS

SECTION Section 5

Untitled Section

•Section 47 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019) provides

•for official language or languages of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and language

•or languages to be used in Legislative Assembly of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

•The said section provides that the Legislative Assembly may by law adopt any one or more

•of the languages in use in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir or Hindi as the official

•language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of the Union territory

•of Jammu and Kashmir.

SECTION Section 6

Untitled Section

2.Section 73 of the said Act empowers the President to suspend the operation of all or

•any of the provisions of the Act for such period as he thinks fit and make such incidental and

•consequential provisions as may appear to him to be necessary or expedient for administering

•the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the provisions of the said Act.

•Vide the Order S.O. number 3937(E), dated the 31st October, 2019 issued by the Government

•of India, any reference therein to the Legislature or Legislative Assembly of the Union

•territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall, in so far as it relates to the functions and powers

•thereof, be construed, unless the context otherwise requires, as a reference to Parliament.

SECTION Section 7

Untitled Section

3.In the light of above, it has become necessary to enact a law by Parliament, namely

•the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020. The said Bill provides—

(a)that the Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi and English languages shall be the

•official languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of the Union

•territory;

(b)for the empowerment of the Administrator to appoint different dates for

•different official purposes or for different areas in the said Union territory; and

(c)that the English language may continue to be used, for those administrative

•and legislative purposes in the Union territory for which it was being used before the

•commencement of the proposed legislation.

SECTION Section 8

Untitled Section

4.The Bill seeks to achieve the above objectives.

•N

•EW DELHI; AMIT SHAH.

•The 10th, September, 2020.

•3

•LOK SABHA

•————

•A

•BILL

•to provide for the languages to be used for the official purposes of the Union territory of

•Jammu and Kashmir.

•————

•(Sh. Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs)

•MGIPMRND—457LS—(S3)—14.09.2020.