In a significant political development, the Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to officially rename the state of Kerala as “Keralam.” The decision revives a long-standing demand to adopt what supporters describe as the state’s original cultural and linguistic name.
The move comes months ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections and follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly in June 2024 requesting the change.
What Happens Next?
With the Cabinet’s approval in place, the process now moves to the next constitutional step. Under Article 3 of the Constitution, the President will refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its views.
After receiving the Assembly’s response, the Centre will proceed with introducing the Bill in Parliament, subject to the President’s recommendation. Parliamentary approval is mandatory for any change in a state’s name.
Background to the Proposal
An earlier proposal submitted in 2023 had been returned by the Union Home Ministry on technical grounds. The state government subsequently revised the proposal and resubmitted it, paving the way for the Cabinet’s current approval.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has consistently argued that “Keralam” reflects the state’s historical and Malayalam identity, while “Kerala” was adopted during the colonial period for administrative convenience.
Rare Political Consensus
The proposal has drawn bipartisan support within the state. State BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar backed the initiative, stating that restoring the name “Keralam” would honour the region’s civilisational and linguistic heritage.
Such cross-party convergence has added momentum to the decade-old campaign to formalise the traditional name.
Impact of the Name Change
The renaming is primarily symbolic and will not affect administrative boundaries, governance structures, or official documentation in the immediate term. However, once Parliament passes the legislation, the new name will be formally adopted in official records.
With the Cabinet nod clearing a major constitutional hurdle, the proposal has now entered its final legislative phase, bringing the state closer to being officially known as “Keralam.”
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
