The Union Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a proposal to officially rename the State of Kerala as Keralam. The approval comes after the Kerala Assembly unanimously passed a resolution in June 2024 seeking the Centre's consent for the change.
The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, is set to be sent to the state Assembly for its opinion, according to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The development comes as the state prepares for Assembly elections, expected in the first half of 2026.
ALSO READ: Govt Bans Five OTT Platforms For 'Obscene' Content
The resolution which the Kerala Assembly had passed read, “The name of our State is 'Keralam' in Malayalam Language. States were formed on the basis of language on the 1st day of November, 1956…But in the First Schedule to the Constitution the name of our State is recorded as 'Kerala'. This Assembly unanimously appeal to the Central Government to take urgent steps as per Article 3 of the Constitution for modifying the name as 'Keralam'.”
With Cabinet approval secured, the proposed renaming will now enter the Constitutional process necessary to formalise the change.
Under Article 3 of the Indian Constitution, the Parliament is empowered to change the name of a state through legislation. However, such a Bill can only be introduced with the approval of the President. Where a proposal involves altering a state's name, boundaries or territory, the Constitution requires the President to first refer the Bill to the state legislature concerned to seek its views within a specified timeframe.
In practice, the process begins with the state Assembly adopting a resolution in favour of the name change and forwarding it to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The proposal is then sent to the President of India for recommendation, a mandatory step before it can be placed before Parliament.
Once cleared, the Bill is referred to the state legislature for its views within a specified period. While the consultation is constitutionally required, the state's response is not binding. Thus, Parliament is free to move ahead even in the absence of agreement.
ALSO READ: Haryana Govt Forms High-Level Committee To Review IDFC First Bank Fraud — Check Details
Once Parliament gives its approval, the legislation returns to the President for final assent. Upon being signed into law, the change is officially recorded through amendments to the Constitution's First and Fourth Schedules.
Renaming of states is not new in India's Constitutional history. The eastern state formerly known as Orissa became Odisha in 2011, a change that also updated the name of its official language to Odia, while Uttaranchal was rechristened Uttarakhand in 2007.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.