"Keralam": Union Cabinet Approves Historic Proposal To Rename Southern Indian State
New Delhi: In a move aimed at aligning official nomenclature with regional linguistic identity, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has formally approved the proposal to rename the state of Kerala as “Keralam.”
The decision, announced on Tuesday, 24 February 2026, marks a significant step in a legislative journey that seeks to honour the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Malayalam-speaking people.
The proposal for the name change is rooted in a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on 24 June 2024.
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For decades, there has been a persistent demand within the state to adopt the name “Keralam,” which is the correct pronunciation and spelling in the native Malayalam language.
While the state was officially formed on linguistic grounds on 1 November 1956—an anniversary celebrated annually as Kerala Piravi Day—the First Schedule of the Indian Constitution recorded the name as “Kerala.”
The current Union Cabinet approval paves the way for a constitutional amendment to rectify this perceived discrepancy between the state’s formal English title and its cultural identity.
Under the guidance of Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) processed the state’s request.
The proposal underwent rigorous scrutiny by the Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department within the Ministry of Law and Justice, both of which have now concurred with the alteration.
The renaming process is being conducted under the strict provisions of Article 3 of the Constitution of India, which empowers Parliament to alter the name of any state. Following the Cabinet’s green light, the procedural steps are as follows:
Presidential Referral: The President of India will refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the Kerala State Legislative Assembly.
State Consultation: The Assembly will be invited to express its views on the Bill within a specified timeframe.
Parliamentary Introduction: Once the state’s views are received, the recommendation of the President will be obtained to formally introduce the Bill in Parliament.
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The resolution passed by the State Assembly in 2024 highlighted that the struggle for a “United Kerala” (Aikya Keralam) was a cornerstone of the national independence movement in the region. By transitioning from “Kerala” to “Keralam,” the government aims to bridge the gap between administrative records and the lived experience of the state’s residents.
Political analysts suggest that the Union Government’s approval reflects a broader trend of “decolonising” Indian nomenclature and respecting the linguistic federalism that defines the nation.
The change is expected to affect all official government communications, signage, and international documents once the Bill successfully passes through both Houses of Parliament.
