The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday gave its nod to a proposal seeking to officially rename the state of Kerala as “Keralam”.
With Cabinet approval in place, the next constitutional step will see the President of India refer the proposed legislation — titled the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 — to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its views, as mandated under Article 3 of the Constitution.
Article 3 empowers Parliament to change the name, area or boundaries of any state through legislation. However, such a Bill can only be introduced in Parliament after receiving the President’s recommendation. Additionally, if the proposed law concerns a state’s name, the President must first seek the opinion of the concerned State Legislature within a specified time frame.
Once the Kerala Assembly’s views are formally received, the Centre will proceed with further steps, including obtaining the President’s recommendation for introducing the Bill in Parliament.
The move follows a resolution passed unanimously by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on June 24, 2024. In the resolution, lawmakers noted that “Keralam” is the name of the state in Malayalam and reflects linguistic and cultural identity.
The Assembly observed that states were reorganised on linguistic lines on November 1, 1956 — a date celebrated annually as Kerala Piravi. It also highlighted that while the Malayalam name is “Keralam,” the First Schedule of the Constitution currently records the state as “Kerala.”
Through the resolution, the state government urged the Centre to amend the Constitution accordingly and update the First Schedule to reflect the name “Keralam.”
The proposal was examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Following approval by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the draft Cabinet note was shared with the Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department under the Ministry of Law and Justice. Both departments concurred with the proposal.
With Cabinet clearance now secured, the formal legislative route to alter the state’s name has begun.
If Parliament ultimately passes the Bill, the constitutional text will be amended to officially recognise “Keralam” in place of “Kerala,” marking a symbolic shift aligned with the state’s linguistic identity.
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