Union Cabinet clears proposal to rename Kerala as ‘Keralam’; what next?
Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approves Kerala’s request to rename the state as “Keralam”; Bill to follow constitutional process under Article 3
The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal of the Kerala government to change the name of the state to Keralam, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday (February 24).
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first one at Seva Teerth, the new PMO complex. The Cabinet okayed the proposal for altering the name to “Keralam”, Vaishnaw said.
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Next, the President of India will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for expressing its views under proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution. After receipt of these views, the Centre will obtain the President’s recommendation for the introduction of the Bill in Parliament, an official release said.
Explained: How a state’s name is changed under Article 3
- The process begins with the concerned state assembly passing a resolution requesting the change.
- The Union Cabinet considers the proposal and, if satisfied, approves it.
- The President refers a draft Bill to the state assembly for its views.
- After receiving the assembly’s views, the Bill is introduced in Parliament with the President’s recommendation.
- Parliament votes to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution, officially altering the state’s name.
Kerala Assembly resolution
The Kerala Assembly passed a resolution on June 24, 2024, to alter the name to “Keralam”.
The resolution said the name of the 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’,” it read.
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Thereafter, the Kerala government requested the central government to take steps to amend the First Schedule to the Constitution by altering the name of ‘Kerala’ as ‘Keralam’ according to Article 3 of the Constitution, which provides for alteration of names of existing states.
The proposed alteration was considered by the Ministry of Home Affairs and, with the approval of Home Minister Amit Shah, the draft note for the Cabinet for the name alteration was circulated to the Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, for their comments. The latter have concurred with the proposal.
(With agency inputs)