Assam Assembly Adds Hindi as Official Language for Budget Session

The Assam Legislative Assembly introduced Hindi as its fourth official language on July 6, 2026, marking the first time in its 89-year history that the language will be used alongside Assamese, English, and Bodo. Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass announced the decision following a General Purpose Committee meeting, stating the move recognizes Hindi as the 'Rashtra Bhasa'. Along with the language change, the assembly's broadcasting channel, ALA, was renamed Assam Vidhan Sabha TV.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, used the start of the budget session to announce a legislative agenda including the Guwahati Satellite City Development Authority Bill and an amendment to the Assam Tourism and Development Registration Act to repeal the Sarais Act of 1867. Sarma also detailed a major amendment to the Assam Land Revenue Regulation Act and the allocation of 97.90 crore rupees to modernize the Assam Police's 112 emergency response service.

Addressing protests by the All Bodo Students’ Union in Kokrajhar, Sarma denied rumors that the Bodo language would be removed from official assembly business or the assembly's logo. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to preserving Bodo as an inseparable part of the state's heritage. Additionally, the assembly reached an all-party agreement to prevent interruptions during the Chief Minister's addresses to maintain democratic decorum.