New Delhi, August 11
The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a Bill seeking to officially rename Kerala as “Keralam”, marking a significant step towards fulfilling a long-standing demand of the State.
The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, was passed nearly two years after the Kerala Legislative Assembly adopted a resolution urging the Centre to change the State’s official name from Kerala to Keralam.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday amid protests by Opposition members over various issues. Its passage clears a key parliamentary stage in the process of changing the name in the Constitution.
The Union Cabinet had approved the proposal in February 2026 after examining the request forwarded by the Kerala government. The move originated from a resolution adopted by the State Assembly in June 2024 seeking an amendment to the First Schedule of the Constitution, where the State is currently listed as Kerala.
The Assembly resolution pointed to the historical demand, dating back to the Independence movement, for the creation of a unified State for Malayalam-speaking people. It said that while the State is commonly known as “Keralam” in Malayalam, its name in the First Schedule of the Constitution continued to be recorded as “Kerala”.
The State government subsequently requested the Centre to initiate the constitutional procedure required to formally change the name.
Article 3 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to alter the name, area or boundaries of an existing State.
Following Kerala’s request, the proposal was examined by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. A draft Cabinet note was then circulated to the Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department under the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Both departments gave their concurrence to the proposal, paving the way for Cabinet approval and the subsequent introduction of the legislation in Parliament.
