India’s Kerala state name has been changed to “Keralam” on Tuesday after the Union Cabinet approved a proposal of the state government to change the name, informed the Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at its first meeting held at Seva Teerth, the new PMO complex.
After approval of the Union Cabinet, the President of India will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala for expressing its views under the proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution of India.
After receipt of the views of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, the government of India will obtain the recommendation of the president for the introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to alter the name of Kerala as 'Keralam' in Parliament, an official release said.
The Legislative Assembly of Kerala passed a resolution on June 24, 2024, to alter the name of Kerala to 'Keralam'.
"The name of our State is 'Keralam' in the Malayalam Language. States were formed based on language on the 1st day of November, 1956. The Kerala Piravi Day is also on the 1st day of November. Since the time of the National Independence Struggle, there has been a strong demand for the formation of United Kerala for the people speaking the Malayalam language. But in the First Schedule to the Constitution, the name of our State is recorded as 'Kerala'. This Assembly unanimously appeals to the Central Government to take urgent steps as per Article 3 of the Constitution for modifying the name to 'Keralam'", the Kerala Assembly resolution read.
Thereafter, the Kerala government requested the central government to take necessary steps to amend the First Schedule to the Constitution by altering the name of 'Kerala' to 'Keralam' according to Article 3 of the Constitution.
Article 3 of the Constitution provides for the alteration of the names of existing states.
According to Article 3, Parliament may by law alter the name of any state. Further proviso to Article 3 states that no Bill for the purpose shall be introduced in either House of Parliament except on the recommendation of the president and unless where the proposal contained in the Bill affects the area, boundaries or name of any of the states, the Bill has been referred by the president to the legislature of that state for expressing its views thereon within such period as may be specified in the reference or within such further period as the president may allow and the period so specified or allowed has expired.
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