On October 6, 2025, Kerala's Left Democratic Front (LDF) government introduced the Malayalam Language Bill, 2025 in the state assembly. The Bill was passed three days later and now awaits the Governor's approval. The Bill makes Malayalam the official language of Kerala. It mandates Malayalam for government work, education, courts, public communication, commerce, and digital use. Currently, Kerala officially uses both Malayalam and English. Malayalam will be the compulsory first language in all government and aided schools up to Class 10. The government plans phased translations of court judgments and will introduce all Bills and Ordinances in Malayalam. Important Central and State Acts published in English will also be translated. The IT department will develop open-source software for Malayalam use. The Personnel and Administrative Reforms department will be renamed the Malayalam Language Development department, with a new Directorate to be formed. The Bill follows an earlier 2015 attempt to promote Malayalam, which was blocked by the President due to conflicts with the Official Language Act and concerns over minority language rights. The Karnataka government opposes the Bill, calling it "unconstitutional" and harmful to Kannada-speaking minorities, especially in Kasaragod district. Karnataka submitted a memorandum to Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar seeking rejection of the Bill, arguing that Kannada is currently taught as a first language in these border areas. Kerala’s Law Minister P. Rajeeve said the Bill protects linguistic minorities like Tamil, Kannada, Tulu, and Konkani speakers. Minorities can use their own languages for official correspondence. Students from non-Malayalam backgrounds can study in their chosen languages, aligned with the National Education Curriculum. Students from other states or countries are exempted from Malayalam exams in Classes 9, 10, and higher secondary levels.