Thiruvananthapuram, March 4 Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar signed the Malayalam Language Bill 2025 on Wednesday, making Malayalam the sole official language for administration in the state, according to sources at the Lok Bhavan.
The Bill, which was passed by the Assembly last October, had faced opposition from the Karnataka government, which was concerned that it would force students from linguistic minorities living in the border region of the two states to be compelled to learn Malayalam.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had attempted to address these concerns by pointing out that the Bill contains a clear and unambiguous clause to protect the rights of linguistic minorities, particularly those who speak Kannada and Tamil.
"Key provisions ensure that no language is imposed, and linguistic freedom is fully protected. In designated areas, speakers of Tamil and Kannada may continue to use their native languages for official correspondence with the Secretariat, department heads, and local offices, with replies issued in the same languages," he had said.
The Kerala CM had further stated that students whose native language is not Malayalam are free to choose from the languages available in schools, in accordance with the National Education Curriculum.
The Bill mandates Malayalam as the compulsory first language in all government and aided schools in Kerala up to the 10th standard.
It also mandates steps to promote the dissemination of the Malayalam language in all schools in the state.
The Bill further states that students from other states and foreign countries studying in Kerala, whose native language is not Malayalam, will be exempted from writing the examination in Malayalam at the 9th and 10th standard and Higher Secondary levels.