The Union Cabinet of India has approved the Kerala government’s proposal to officially rename the southern state as ‘Keralam’, a move that comes just months ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
The decision is understood to have been taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Seva Teerth, the newly inaugurated Prime Minister’s Office building in New Delhi. Notably, this was the first Cabinet session held at the new venue since the February 13 meeting at South Block.
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The Kerala Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed the renaming resolution for the second time on June 25, 2024.
Earlier, in August 2023, the House had adopted a similar resolution. However, after reviewing it, the Centre recommended certain technical modifications to ensure clarity and constitutional compliance. The revised resolution was subsequently passed again without dissent.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved the resolution, urged the Centre to officially rename the state as ‘Keralam’ in all languages listed under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Why ‘Keralam’? Historical and Linguistic Roots
Explaining the rationale, Vijayan noted that the state is referred to as ‘Keralam’ in Malayalam and that the term is deeply embedded in the region’s cultural and historical identity.
He also pointed out that while “Kerala” appears in the First Schedule of the Constitution, the demand for a unified Malayalam-speaking state dates back to the national freedom movement.
According to the resolution, the state government requested the Centre to amend the Constitution under Article 3 to formalise the name change and reflect it across all Eighth Schedule languages.
Under Article 3 of the Constitution, Parliament has the authority to alter the name of a state. The Union Cabinet’s approval is a key procedural step before the formal amendment process moves forward.
The decision is politically significant, coming at a time when Kerala is gearing up for assembly elections in the coming months.
Further legislative steps are expected to follow to operationalise the renaming across official records and constitutional texts.
