Kerala to become Keralam: Union Cabinet approves decision to rename state

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 the 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 elections 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 October, 1956. The Kerala Piravi Day is also on the 1st day of November. Since the time of National Independence Struggue, 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 tribute to Guru Dronacharya, a teacher in the epic Mahabharata, who was given the land in fee by his disciples.

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) approved the renaming of the State of “Kerala” to “Keralam”, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced. On June 24, 2024, the Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union government to rename the State as “Keralam”.

The Kerala Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution for the second time in June 2024, urging the renaming of the state to Kerala, after the central government reviewed the earlier one and suggested some technical changes for better clarity and compliance.

The Union Cabinet has approved the Kerala Government’s proposal to rename the southern state as ‘Keralam’. The move comes only months ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

The proposal is expected to be approved at a Union Cabinet meeting today at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new office at Seva Teerth, the new PMO building in Delhi. This was the first Cabinet session at the venue since its previous meeting at the South Block on February 13.

The Kerala assembly unanimously passed the resolution for the second time on June 25, 2024, urging the central government to official change the state’s name to Keralam. It happened after the Center assessed the earlier resolution, passed unanimously in August 2023, and recommended a few technical changes for better clarity and compliance.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,

who had moved the resolution, urged the Union government to rename the state to Keralam in all languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

Vijayan had mentioned that the name of the state is called ‘Keralam’ in Malayalam and is deep-rooted in the state’s history, citing the usage of Kerala in the First Schedule of the Constituent. He had also explained the demand to form a united Malayalam-speaking state since the days of the national independence struggle.

The Kerala assembly has urged the central government to take immediate steps to amend it as Keralam under Article 3 of the Constitution and in all the languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal for changing the name of Kerala to Keralam.

After approval of the Union Cabinet, the President of India will refer a Bill,

namely the Kerala (Altation of Name) Bill, 2026 to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala for expressing its views under the proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution of India.

Subsequently, the government of Kerala requested the government of India to take necessary steps to amend the First Schedule to the Constitution by altering the name of Kerala to Keralam according to Article 3 of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, on Monday (February 23, 2026) night, Mr. Tharoor said he was truly pleased to see C. Rajagopalachari honored by a statue at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

He was its first Indian occupant as the only Indian Governor-General of India, before we became a Republic and he yielded his seat to the new President. I have long admired his convictions and was a strong supporter of his Swatantra Party in my student days,” Mr. Tharoor said.

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