Kerala HC Orders Malayalam Translation of Ghats Notification

The Kerala High Court has stepped in to ensure that a crucial environmental notification is accessible to the state's Malayalam-speaking public. Justice C Jayachandran directed the state government to publish a Malayalam version of the central government's draft notification on *ecologically sensitive areas* across the Western Ghats within 10 days.

The order came on a petition by three Kozhikode residents who argued that the lack of a Malayalam translation hampered their ability to file objections, especially since a month of the two-month objection window had already lapsed. Petitioners cited an earlier High Court ruling in a contempt case that had similarly mandated translation of official notifications.

Acting on a suggestion from the central government, the bench roped in the *Kerala Official Language (Legislative) Commission*, directing it to translate the notification promptly and forward it to the state, which must then upload the Malayalam version to its website within the stipulated period.