Kerala to be renamed Keralam: Union Cabinet

The Union Cabinet has approved the Kerala government’s proposal to rename the State as Keralam. The decision, taken ahead of Assembly elections, will now move through constitutional procedures under Article 3 before the Bill is introduced in Parliament

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal of the Kerala government to change the name of the State to Keralam, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The decision, which comes ahead of the Assembly elections in the State, 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.

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The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for altering the name of Kerala to Keralam, Vaishnaw said.

Prime Minister Modi hailed the Cabinet decision, saying it reflects the will of the people of the State.

“It is in line with our efforts to strengthen the connect with our glorious culture,” he said in a post on X.

Kerala Assembly elections are due in April this year, with the tenure of the 140-member current assembly ending on May 23.

After the Union Cabinet’s approval, the President of India will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the Kerala Assembly for expressing its views under the proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution of India.

After receipt of the views of the Kerala 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 to Keralam in Parliament, an official release said.

Asked why a decision like this was coming just ahead of the assembly elections in Kerala, Vaishnaw said decisions are taken by the Union Cabinet under Prime Minister Modi without keeping elections in view.

“Decisions of setting up new rail corridors and starting of Vande Bharat trains in Kerala were taken up when elections were not there. Elections will be held, but all decisions which are in the interest of the country will be taken,” he said.

The Kerala Assembly passed a resolution on June 24, 2024 to alter the name of Kerala to Keralam.

“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. The Kerala Piravi Day is also on the 1st day of November.

“Since the time of National Independence Struggle, there has been a strong demand for the formation of United Kerala for the people speaking 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’ as ‘Keralam’ according to Article 3 of the Constitution.

The Article 3 of the Constitution provides for the alteration of 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.

The matter regarding the alteration of the name Kerala to Keralam was considered in the Ministry of Home Affairs, government of India and with the approval of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the draft note for the Cabinet for changing Kerala to Keralam was circulated to the Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department, and the Ministry of Law and Justice for their comments.

The Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice have concurred with the proposal for the alteration of Kerala as Keralam.