Published Aug 09, 2026 | 9:19 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 09, 2026 | 9:20 PM
The Cabinet decision could redefine the official identity of one of India’s most politically and culturally distinct states.
Synopsis: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to introduce the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha on 10 August, proposing to officially rename Kerala as Keralam. The Kerala Assembly had earlier unanimously endorsed the proposal.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to introduce the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha on 10 August, proposing to officially change the name of the state from “Kerala” to “Keralam”, reflecting the Malayalam name by which the state is widely known.
It seeks to amend the relevant provisions of the Constitution to reflect the new name in the First and Fourth Schedules.
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal in February 2026. Once introduced, the Bill has to be passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha through a simple majority, with more than half of the members present and voting supporting the legislation.
Once Parliament passes the Bill and it receives the President’s assent, it becomes an Act, and the constitutional references to the state’s name are formally altered.
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Under the constitutional procedure laid down in Article 3, any Bill seeking to alter the name of a state must first be referred by the President to the concerned State Legislature for expressing its views.
Earlier this year, the Bill was placed before the state Assembly.
Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan informed the House that the President had referred the Bill to the Assembly after the Union Cabinet approved the proposal in February.
It sought the Assembly’s opinion on ten provisions of the Bill, each dealing with amendments required to substitute the name “Kerala” with “Keralam” in various provisions of the Constitution.
The proposed changes include amendments to Article 31A, Article 290A, the First Schedule relating to the States, and the Fourth Schedule, among other constitutional references where the state’s name appears.
On 1 July, the House unanimously endorsed all the provisions of the proposed legislation.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
