The Union cabinet on Tuesday approved the Kerala government’s proposal to rename the state Keralam.
The decision, which comes ahead of the Assembly elections, was taken at a meeting of the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Seva Teerth, the new PMO complex, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Modi hailed the decision, saying it reflects the will of the people of the state. “It is in line with our efforts to strengthen the connect with our glorious culture,” he said in a post on X.
The Kerala elections are due in April, with the tenure of the 140-member Assembly ending on May 23.
After the cabinet’s approval, the President will refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the Kerala Assembly for its views under the proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution.
After the Assembly replies, the central government will seek the recommendation of the President for the introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to alter the name of Kerala to Keralam in Parliament, an official release said.
Asked why the renaming ball was set in motion just ahead of the Assembly elections, Vaishnaw said the Modi cabinet took decisions without keeping elections in mind.
“Decisions for setting up rail corridors and starting Vande Bharat trains in Kerala were taken when elections were not there. Elections will be held, but all decisions which are in the interest of the country will be taken,” he said.
The Assembly passed a resolution on June 24, 2024, to alter the name of Kerala
to Keralam.
“The name of our 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,” the Kerala Assembly resolution says.
“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’. This Assembly unanimously appeals to the central government to take urgent steps as per Article 3 of the Constitution for modifying the name to ‘Keralam’,” it added.
Thereafter, the Kerala government requested the Centre to take necessary steps to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution to change the name of Kerala to Keralam according to Article 3.
Article 3 provides for the alteration of names of existing states. According to Article 3, Parliament may by law change the name of any state.
Additional reporting by PTI