Union Cabinet approves renaming Kerala to 'Keralam'

The Union Cabinet, in a significant development on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, officially approved the proposal to change the name of the southern Indian state of Kerala to 'Keralam'. This decision marks a pivotal step in fulfilling a long-standing demand to align the state's official name with its traditional Malayalam pronunciation and linguistic heritage. The journey towards this renaming began with the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The state assembly initially passed a unanimous resolution in August 2023, urging the Union Government to effectuate the name change under Article 3 of the Indian Constitution. However, this initial resolution encountered a procedural hurdle. The Union Home Ministry returned the proposal, suggesting technical modifications. The Ministry clarified that the amendment was primarily required in the First Schedule of the Constitution, which lists the states and union territories, rather than attempting to amend the name across all languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule, as was initially sought. Responding to these observations, the Kerala Assembly re-passed a revised and unanimous resolution on June 24, 2024. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved the resolution, consistently highlighted that 'Keralam' is the name of the state in Malayalam, emphasizing the historical and cultural significance of this nomenclature. He reiterated that the demand for a unified state for Malayalam-speaking communities, to be known as 'Keralam', has been a prominent aspiration since India's freedom struggle, culminating in the formation of the state on November 1, 1956. The constitutional procedure for renaming a state in India is laid out in Article 3 of the Constitution. This article grants Parliament the power to alter the name of any state by law. The process typically involves several stages: a bill for renaming a state can be introduced in Parliament, but only upon the recommendation of the President. Prior to its introduction, the President is constitutionally mandated to refer the Bill to the concerned State Legislature, allowing them to express their views within a stipulated timeframe. While the views of the State Legislature are not binding on Parliament, they are a crucial consultative step that must be taken into consideration. Once the Union Cabinet approves such a proposal, as it did on February 24, 2026, the 'Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026' will then be referred by the President to the Kerala State Legislative Assembly for its views. After receiving and considering the State Assembly's feedback, the Union Government will proceed with the legislative process, which includes seeking the President's recommendation for introducing the Bill in Parliament. The Bill must then be passed by a simple majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Upon receiving the President's assent, the Bill becomes law, and the name change will be officially recorded in the First and Fourth Schedules of the Constitution. The approval by the Union Cabinet is a politically significant development, especially as it comes ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, which are anticipated in April-May. This move has garnered rare political convergence, with leaders from various parties expressing support, viewing it as an honouring of the state's civilizational and linguistic heritage. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed the Cabinet's decision, emphasizing that such actions reflect the government's commitment to constitutional values and nation-building. While the renaming is largely symbolic, affirming cultural and linguistic identity, it will necessitate administrative changes in official documents and records at various levels. However, it is understood that the renaming will not alter the state's administrative boundaries, governance systems, or existing legal frameworks beyond the name itself. The consistent efforts by the Kerala Assembly and the subsequent approval by the Union Cabinet signify a decisive advancement in the decade-old campaign to formalize the state's traditional name.

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