The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given the green light to change the name of ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’. This decision will now move to President Droupadi Murmu, who will present the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the Kerala Assembly for their feedback as per Article 3 of the Indian Constitution.
Upon receiving the Kerala Assembly’s input, the Union government will proceed further. President Murmu’s recommendation will be sought for the introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, in Parliament to officially rename ‘Kerala’ as ‘Keralam’. The Kerala Assembly had previously passed a resolution on June 24, 2024, advocating for the name change to reflect the state’s Malayalam identity.
The move to change the name stems from historical and linguistic considerations. The demand for a unified Kerala, based on the Malayalam language, dates back to the country’s independence movement. The Kerala government had urged the Union government to make the necessary amendments to the Constitution’s First Schedule to effect the name change from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’.
Article 3 of the Constitution allows for the alteration of existing state names through parliamentary legislation. The Ministry of Home Affairs, under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has initiated the process for renaming ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’. Legal authorities have also supported this proposal, paving the way for the formalization of the name change.
