What is the official language of Jammu and Kashmir?

Question

What is the official language of Jammu and Kashmir?

1. A. Hindi
2. B. Kashmiri
3. C. Urdu
4. D. English

This question was dropped from the final answer key, so it has no correct option — marks were awarded to all candidates.

Detailed Solution & Explanation

This question was dropped from the final answer key, and the reason is worth knowing: every one of the four options is correct, so no single answer could be marked.

Key Points

• Under the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020, the Union Territory has five official languages:
  • Kashmiri
  • Dogri
  • Hindi
  • Urdu
  • English
• The options offered were Hindi, Kashmiri, Urdu and English — all four are official languages. A question asking for "the" official language therefore has no unique answer, which is why it was cancelled and marks were awarded to all candidates.

Additional Information

• Before the 2020 Act, the official language of the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir was Urdu, as laid down in Section 145 of the former J&K Constitution — even though Urdu was the mother tongue of only a very small share of the population. English was permitted for official purposes.
• The 2020 Act was passed by Parliament to give official status to Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi alongside Urdu and English, recognising the languages actually spoken across the region.
• Kashmiri, Dogri and Urdu are all listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Dogri was added by the 92nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003, together with Bodo, Maithili and Santhali.
• A distinction worth holding on to: inclusion in the Eighth Schedule is not the same as being an official language. The Eighth Schedule currently lists 22 languages, while Article 343 makes Hindi in the Devanagari script the official language of the Union, with English continuing under the Official Languages Act, 1963.
• Exam pointer: whenever a question asks for "the" official language of Jammu & Kashmir, check whether it predates or postdates 2020. The answer changed from Urdu alone to a set of five.