The Union Cabinet, chaired by Narendra Modi, approved the proposal to alter the name of the State of Kerala to Keralam, initiating the constitutional process to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution of India. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah extended congratulations to the people of Keralam, describing the decision as a significant step toward fulfilling a long-standing public demand.
In a post on the X platform, Amit Shah conveyed his heartiest congratulations to the people of Keralam and stated that the Cabinet’s decision reflects the will of the people of the State. He said that the name Keralam will manifest the State’s heritage with authenticity and uphold its cultural pride.
Following Cabinet approval, the President of India will refer the Kerala Alteration of Name Bill, 2026 to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala under the proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution for expressing its views. After receipt of the Assembly’s views, the Government of India will take further action and obtain the President’s recommendation for introduction of the Bill in Parliament.
The Legislative Assembly of Kerala had earlier passed a resolution on June 24, 2024, seeking alteration of the State’s name from Kerala to Keralam. The resolution stated that the name of the State in the Malayalam language is Keralam and recalled that States were reorganised on linguistic lines on November 1, 1956. It noted that while the State is known as Keralam in Malayalam, the First Schedule of the Constitution records its name as Kerala. The Assembly unanimously appealed to the Central Government to take urgent steps under Article 3 of the Constitution to modify the name accordingly.
Subsequently, the Government of Kerala formally requested the Government of India to initiate the process for amending the First Schedule to reflect the name Keralam.
Article 3 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to alter the name of any State by law. The proviso to Article 3 mandates that no such Bill can be introduced in either House of Parliament without the recommendation of the President. It further requires that if the proposal affects the name of a State, the Bill must be referred by the President to the Legislature of that State for expressing its views within a specified period.
The proposal for renaming the State was examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs. With the approval of Amit Shah, the draft Cabinet Note was circulated to the Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department under the Ministry of Law and Justice. Both departments concurred with the proposal to alter the name of Kerala to Keralam.
The decision marks a key milestone in aligning the constitutional nomenclature of the State with its linguistic and cultural identity. Once the constitutional process is completed and Parliament enacts the necessary legislation, the State will officially be known as Keralam.
