Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had moved the decision, needed the Union Government to alter the southern State’s identify from Kerala to Keralam in all languages included within the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. File picture: X/@NarendraModi
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) accredited the renaming of the State of “Kerala” to “Keralam”, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced. On June 24, 2024, the Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union authorities to rename the State as “Keralam”.
The transfer got here forward of the Kerala Assembly elections anticipated to be held in April-May.
After approval of Union Cabinet, the president of India will refer a Bill, specifically the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala for expressing its views beneath proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution of India.
After receipt of the views of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, the federal government of India will receive the advice of the president for introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to change the identify of Kerala as ‘Keralam’ in Parliament, an official launch stated.
The Kerala Assembly had handed the decision for the second time as a result of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which reviewed the primary decision, prompt some technical adjustments.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had moved the decision, needed the Union Government to alter the southern State’s identify from Kerala to Keralam in all languages included within the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Moving the decision, the Chief Minister had stated the State was known as ‘Keralam’ in Malayalam and that the demand to kind a united Kerala for the Malayalam-speaking communities had strongly emerged for the reason that time of the nationwide freedom wrestle.
Constitutional course of to alter identify of a State
The Article 3 of the Constitution supplies for alteration of names of present States.
According to Article 3, Parliament might by legislation alter the identify of any State. Further proviso to Article 3 states that no Bill for the aim shall be launched in both House of Parliament besides on the advice of the president and until the place the proposal contained within the Bill impacts the realm, boundaries or identify of any of the States, the Bill has been referred by the president to the legislature of that State for expressing its views thereon inside such interval as could also be specified within the reference or inside such additional interval because the president might permit and the interval so specified or allowed has expired.
The matter relating to alteration of the identify Kerala as Keralam was thought of within the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and with the approval of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the draft observe for the Cabinet for the alteration of identify of Kerala as Keralam was circulated to the Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice for his or her feedback.
The Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice have concurred with the proposal for the alteration of identify of Kerala’ as ‘Keralam’.
(With inputs from PTI)
Published – February 24, 2026 03:25 pm IST
