Assam Grants Official Status to Karbi Language

The Assam government has granted official language status to Karbi for administrative use across the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) region, encompassing Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts. The decision, formalized through a Governor's Order in May 2025, mandates the use of Karbi alongside English for official correspondence within the council's jurisdiction.

The move responds to demands from indigenous youth and student organizations seeking linguistic parity after Assamese was designated as the state's primary official language, with exemptions granted to Bodoland Territorial Region (Bodo) and Barak Valley (Bengali). Karbi, a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by one of Northeast India's oldest indigenous communities, will now serve as the medium for local administration, while English continues for inter-state and central government communication.

KAAC authorities have launched translation mechanisms and training programs to implement the policy across departmental offices, marking a significant step in preserving the linguistic rights and cultural identity of the Karbi community, who traditionally call themselves *Arleng*.