Meghalaya Cabinet clears Khasi-Garo language Bill, approves dedicated MCS paper

The Meghalaya Cabinet has approved a Bill to recognise Khasi and Garo as official languages of the state alongside English, along with measures covering public services and the Meghalaya Civil Service examination.

The Meghalaya Official Languages Bill, 2026, which was earlier introduced through an Ordinance, will now be formally taken up during the upcoming Assembly Session. The proposed legislation will pave the way for amendments to the Meghalaya Official Language Act.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the move would provide for Khasi and Garo to be recognised as official languages of Meghalaya, alongside English.

The Cabinet also approved an amendment to the Meghalaya Right to Public Services Act, 2020, to introduce an automatic appeal mechanism for online applications covered under the Ease of Doing Business (Compliance Reduction and Deregulation) Initiative.

Under the new system, if a notified online service is not delivered within the prescribed timeframe, an appeal will be triggered automatically, without the citizen having to file a separate appeal.

According to the Chief Minister, the mechanism is aimed at strengthening the Right to Public Services framework, improving accountability and ensuring that notified government services are delivered within the stipulated time.

The Cabinet also approved the report of an expert committee headed by Professor David Syiemlieh on introducing a dedicated paper on Meghalaya in the Meghalaya Civil Service Competitive Examination.

The proposed Paper VI will focus exclusively on the state, covering its history, culture, traditional systems, society, economy and other aspects.

The government said the move is intended to ensure that future MCS officers have a deeper understanding of Meghalaya and its distinct social, cultural and economic context.