Kerala to become 'Keralam' as Union Cabinet approves name change
What's the story
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to change the name of the state of Kerala to 'Keralam.' The demand had been previously endorsed twice by the Kerala Assembly. The Kerala Assembly passed a resolution first in August 2023 and then on June 25, 2024, seeking to amend the Constitution to replace "Kerala" with "Keralam."
Guv
What next
The President will now refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the State Legislative Assembly for expressing its views. After receipt of the views of the State Legislative Assembly, the Government of India will take further action and the recommendation of President will be obtained for the introduction of the bill for alteration of the name in Parliament.
History
Massive support for name change
The proposal had received support from political parties, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress, and the BJP. State BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar had said that "Developed Keralam, Safe Keralam and Protection of Faith" are not just slogans but their mission. Last month, Chandrasekhar had written to CM Pinarayi Vijayan, extending support to the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government's move to rename Kerala.
CM
CM moved resolution for name change
CM Vijayan, who moved the resolution, emphasized that "Keralam" is how the state is referred to in Malayalam. He urged the Centre to rename it as 'Keralam' in all the languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution He said this demand has been strong since India's freedom struggle for a united Malayalam-speaking community.