The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved on February 24, 2026 a proposal to alter the name of the state of Kerala to “Keralam”, government officials said. Following the cabinet decision, President Droupadi Murmu will refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its views under Article 3 of the Constitution.
Once the Kerala Assembly returns its opinion, the Union government will take further steps and seek the President’s recommendation to introduce the Bill in Parliament for amendment of the First Schedule to the Constitution. The process required by Article 3 mandates referral to the state legislature and the President’s recommendation before a name-change law can be introduced in either House.
The move follows a resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly on June 24, 2024, which stated: “The name of our State is ‘Keralam’ in Malayalam Language.” The assembly’s resolution recalled that states were formed on a linguistic basis on November 1, 1956-the day Kerala Piravi is observed-and appealed to the Centre to act urgently under the Constitution to modify the state’s name.
The Home Ministry examined the matter, and with Home Minister Amit Shah’s approval a draft note was circulated to the Ministry of Law and Justice’s Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department for comments. Both departments have concurred with the proposal, clearing the way for the presidential reference to the state legislature.
Under Article 3, Parliament has the power to alter state names, but the constitutional procedure means the change will proceed only after the Kerala Assembly’s formal views and the President’s recommendation. The cabinet decision signals the Centre’s willingness to process the state’s long-standing request to formalize its Malayalam name at the national level.
Original Source: https://tripurachronicle.in/national-news/union-cabinet-approves-renaming-kerala-to-keralam/
Category: National News
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Publish Date: 2026-02-24 19:42:00
