The Union Cabinet on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) approved the proposal of the Kerala government to change the State’s official name from “Kerala” to “Keralam,” reflecting its name in the Malayalam language. The decision marks a significant constitutional step toward formalising the linguistic identity of the State.
According to an official statement, the President will now refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for expressing its views, as required under Article 3 of the Constitution of India. After receiving the Assembly’s response, the Union government will seek the President’s recommendation to introduce the legislation in Parliament.
The decision was taken at the first Cabinet meeting held at Seva Teerth, the new complex housing the Prime Minister’s Office, under the chairmanship of Narendra Modi.
Background: 2024 Assembly Resolution
The development follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on June 24, 2024, urging the Centre to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution to reflect the State’s name as “Keralam.”
The resolution stated that the State is known as “Keralam” in Malayalam and that States in India were reorganised on linguistic lines on November 1, 1956 — the day celebrated as Kerala Piravi. It further noted that although the demand for a unified Malayalam-speaking State dates back to the Independence movement, the First Schedule to the Constitution continues to list the name as “Kerala.”
The Assembly appealed to the Central government to initiate steps under Article 3 of the Constitution to effect the change.
Constitutional and Legal Procedure
Article 3 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to alter the name, boundaries, or area of an existing State by law. However, the proviso to Article 3 mandates that no such Bill can be introduced in Parliament without the President’s recommendation. Additionally, if the proposal affects the name of a State, the President must first refer the Bill to the concerned State Legislature for its views within a specified timeframe.
Officials said the proposal was examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs and subsequently circulated to the Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department under the Ministry of Law and Justice. Both departments concurred with the proposal to change the name from “Kerala” to “Keralam.”
With the Cabinet’s approval now in place, the process moves to the next constitutional stage, paving the way for parliamentary consideration once procedural requirements are completed.
If enacted, the amendment will formally update the First Schedule of the Constitution to reflect the new name, aligning the State’s official English designation with its Malayalam identity.
