The resolutions moved by the Kerala government sought to alter the name of the state from Kerala to ‘Keralam’ under article 3 of the Constitution of India.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal for renaming Kerala to ‘Keralam’.

After approval of Union Cabinet, the President of India will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala for expressing its views under proviso to article 3 of the Constitution of India. After receipt of the views of the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala, Government of India will take further action and the recommendation of President will be obtained for introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 for alteration of name of State of ‘Kerala’ as ‘Keralam’ in Parliament.

The name change comes ahead of the assembly polls in the state, the dates of which is yet to be announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

In 2023 and 2024, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, had moved the resolution to change the name from “Kerala” to “Keralam” in all languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of the country. The resolution was passed twice by the assembly, after the Union Home Ministry, after reviewing the first resolution, suggested some technical changes.

The resolutions moved by the Kerala government sought to alter the name of the state from Kerala to ‘Keralam’ under article 3 of the Constitution of India.

“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 resolutions read.

In 2016, when Gurgaon was renamed Gurugram, the RSS suggested that the Union government should rename Kerala as ‘Keralam’, Ahmedabad as ‘Amaravati’, Hyderabad as ‘Bhagyanagar’, and Aurangabad as ‘Sambhajinagar’.

Gurgaon was changed to Gurugram as homage to Guru Dronacharya , a teacher in the epic Mahabharata, who was given the land in fee by his disciples.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)