Shillong: The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly finished its five-day Budget Session on Friday. Lawmakers ended the proceedings by adjourning the House sine die after the state and national anthems played. The session produced a stack of new laws. Legislators pushed through the Meghalaya Official Languages Bill, 2026, which formally grants Khasi and Garo status as official state languages alongside English.
This law replaces an ordinance the Governor issued on April 27, which followed the repeal of the Meghalaya State Language Act, 2005. It elevates the languages from their former associate status. The House also cleared the Meghalaya Appropriation (No. III) Bill, 2026, to finalize state spending.
The assembly cleared several measures covering financial and administrative oversight. The list includes the Meghalaya Forest Authority (Amendment) Bill, the Meghalaya Money Lenders and Accredited Loan Providers’ Bill, and the Meghalaya Right to Public Services (Amendment) Bill. Officials also adjusted tax laws, passing the Meghalaya Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Meghalaya Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Education reform took center stage during the final hours. The House passed a bundle of university bills, including the International Open University (Repealing) Bill, 2026, the Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian University Meghalaya Bill, 2026, and the Sister Nivedita University Meghalaya Bill, 2026. The government also signed off on amendment bills for the Mahatma Gandhi University, Martin Luther Christian University, and the Maharashtra Institute of Technology University of Meghalaya.
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