Kerala Set to Be Officially Renamed ‘Keralam’ After Union Cabinet Approved

Kerala | 24 Feb 2026 The Union Cabinet, led by Narendra Modi, has approved a proposal to rename the state of Kerala as ‘Keralam’. This decision follows a long-standing demand from the Kerala government to restore the state’s name in line with its original Malayalam usage. With the Cabinet’s approval, the formal legal process for the name change has now begun under Article 3 of the Constitution of India. As part of the procedure, the President of India will send the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the Kerala Legislative Assembly to seek its views. After the Assembly responds, the Union government will move ahead with the next steps, including introducing the Bill in Parliament with the President’s recommendation. This development comes at a time when the state is heading toward Assembly elections, though the poll dates are yet to be announced by the Election Commission of India. The push for the name change was led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved resolutions in 2023 and 2024 to rename the state as “Keralam” in all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Although the Assembly passed the resolution twice, the Union Home Ministry asked for technical corrections after the first attempt. The demand is rooted in history and language, as reflected in the Assembly’s official appeal: “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. 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 as ‘Keralam’,” The idea of renaming Kerala has surfaced earlier as well. In 2016, when Gurgaon was renamed Gurugram, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh suggested that Kerala be renamed ‘Keralam’ along with similar changes for other cities. Gurgaon’s renaming was done to honour Guru Dronacharya, a revered teacher from the epic Mahabharata. With the Union Cabinet’s latest decision, Kerala is now closer than ever to officially becoming Keralam, reflecting its linguistic and cultural identity. Kerala Set to Be Officially Renamed ‘Keralam’ After Union Cabinet Approved The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to rename the state of Kerala as “Keralam”, marking a significant step toward restoring the state’s original Malayalam name. The decision was taken under Article 3 of the Constitution and formally sets the process in motion for the name change at the national level. Following the approval, the President of India will refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the Kerala Legislative Assembly to seek its views. Once the Assembly responds, the Union government will take the next steps to introduce the Bill in Parliament. The move comes ahead of the state Assembly elections, the schedule for which is yet to be announced. The Kerala government, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, had passed resolutions in 2023 and 2024 seeking the change from “Kerala” to “Keralam” in all constitutional languages. The demand is based on the fact that the state has always been known as “Keralam” in Malayalam and reflects its linguistic and cultural identity. The name change has been discussed in the past as well, especially after cities like Gurgaon were renamed. With the Union Cabinet’s approval, Kerala is now closer to officially becoming “Keralam”, a move many see as a symbolic recognition of the state’s history, language, and cultural roots.