Union Cabinet Approves Renaming Kerala to 'Keralam'

The Union Cabinet, in a significant development on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, has approved the long-pending proposal to officially rename the southern Indian state of Kerala as 'Keralam'. This decision marks a crucial step in fulfilling a demand rooted in the state's linguistic and cultural identity, bringing the official name in line with its traditional Malayalam designation. The approval was made at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, notably the first to be held at the newly inaugurated Prime Minister's Office complex, 'Seva Teerth'. The move follows persistent efforts by the Kerala state government. The Kerala Legislative Assembly had twice passed unanimous resolutions urging the Central government to effect this name change. The first resolution was adopted in August 2023, but it was subsequently returned by the Union Home Ministry due to technical suggestions. Consequently, the Assembly passed a revised and unanimous resolution on June 24, 2024, reiterating the demand. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved both resolutions, emphasized that the state is referred to as 'Keralam' in Malayalam, and the demand for a unified Kerala (Aikya Kerala) for Malayalam-speaking communities has existed since the national freedom struggle. He argued that the current English name, 'Kerala', emerged during colonial rule for administrative convenience, and changing it to 'Keralam' would honor the state's civilisational and linguistic heritage. The resolution specifically requested the Union government to take urgent steps under Article 3 of the Constitution to amend the First Schedule to reflect the name 'Keralam' and to rename it in all languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. While the Union Cabinet's approval is a major milestone, it is not the final step in the renaming process. According to constitutional provisions, specifically Article 3, the President of India will now refer the proposed legislation, titled the 'Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026', to the Kerala State Legislative Assembly. This referral is for the Assembly to express its views on the Bill within a specified period. After receiving the views from the State Assembly, the Union government will proceed to obtain the President's recommendation for introducing the Bill in Parliament. The alteration of a state's name ultimately requires parliamentary approval to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution. The timing of this approval is politically significant, as it comes just months ahead of the Assembly elections in Kerala, which are anticipated to be held in April or May 2026. This decision is seen as a politically strategic move, addressing a long-standing cultural and linguistic aspiration of the state. Interestingly, the proposal has garnered rare bipartisan support within Kerala. State BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar publicly backed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's initiative, stating that restoring 'Keralam' would honour the state's rich history, language, and cultural roots, demonstrating a convergence of political interests on this cultural matter. The renaming is largely symbolic and is not expected to affect the administrative boundaries, governance systems, or existing official documents of the state. Similar name changes have occurred in other Indian states and cities in the past, such as Puducherry (from Pondicherry), Uttarakhand (from Uttaranchal), and Odisha (from Orissa), as well as cities like Chennai (Madras) and Mumbai (Bombay). The approval by the Union Cabinet signifies that the decade-old campaign to formalize the traditional name has moved decisively forward, bringing 'Keralam' closer to becoming the official constitutional name of the state.

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