New Delhi, 10 August (H.S.): A Bill seeking to change the official name of the state of Kerala to ‘Keralam’ was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday, following unanimous approval by the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai introduced the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha amid disruptions and uproar in the House.

In Malayalam, the state has traditionally been referred to as ‘Keralam’. The proposed change seeks to formally recognise this linguistic and cultural identity by giving the name official status.

The legislation proposes amendments to the First Schedule of the Constitution to reflect the change in the state’s name. Consequential amendments would also be required in other constitutional, statutory and administrative documents and references associated with the state.

The move follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on June 24, 2024, requesting the Central Government to initiate the process of changing the state’s name from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’.

The resolution called for necessary action under Article 3 of the Constitution and sought an amendment to the First Schedule to formally incorporate ‘Keralam’ as the state’s name.

Under the provisions of Article 3, the President referred the proposal to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its views. The state Assembly subsequently considered the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 and approved it unanimously after detailed deliberations.

The Bill will now undergo parliamentary consideration as part of the constitutional process required to formally change the name of the state.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar