Union Cabinet to approve change of name of Kerala to Keralam in poll year

THE Union Cabinet is expected to consider approving the renaming of Kerala as "Keralam," a proposal that has gathered political momentum ahead of the state’s Assembly elections due before May. 

The move follows a resolution passed twice by the Kerala Legislative Assembly urging the Centre to amend the Constitution to reflect the state’s name in its Malayalam form across all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule.

If cleared, the change would amend references to the state in the First Schedule of the Constitution under Article 3, formalising “Keralam” as its official name in all recognised languages.

Kerala Assembly’s Resolution and Constitutional Process

The proposal was first introduced in 2024 by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who argued that the state is referred to as “Keralam” in Malayalam and that the current English rendering does not reflect linguistic and historical identity.

“But the name of our state is written as Kerala in the First Schedule of the Constitution. This Assembly requests the Centre to take immediate steps to amend it as 'Keralam' under Article 3 of the Constitution and have it renamed as 'Keralam' in all the languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution,” Vijayan had said while moving the resolution.

The Assembly passed the resolution again on June 25, 2024, after the Union Home Ministry suggested technical modifications to the original submission. The revised resolution was subsequently forwarded to the Centre for consideration.

The state legislature has already approved changes in official records within Kerala, pending constitutional amendment at the national level.

Political Backdrop Ahead of Assembly Elections

The timing of the Cabinet’s deliberations is significant. Kerala is scheduled to elect 140 members to its Legislative Assembly before May, though the Election Commission of India has yet to announce the polling schedule.

The proposed renaming has drawn rare cross-party support within the state. On January 24, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar publicly thanked Vijayan for responding to his letter endorsing the initiative. Chandrasekhar had earlier written to the Chief Minister expressing support for the Left Democratic Front government’s move.

Sharing the Chief Minister’s reply on social media, Chandrasekhar stated that the name “Keralam” reflects the state’s history, language and cultural roots.

Cabinet Meeting at Seva Tirtha

The anticipated approval is set against a broader institutional transition in New Delhi. The Union Cabinet is convening at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new office at Seva Tirtha for the first time. The previous meeting was held on February 13 at the Prime Minister’s Office in South Block, shortly before operations shifted to the new premises.

While the renaming proposal has been framed as a linguistic and cultural correction, its consideration in an election year underscores its political resonance. Supporters view the change as aligning constitutional terminology with historical identity, tracing the aspiration for a unified Malayalam-speaking state back to the freedom movement.

If approved, “Keralam” would join a series of Indian states and cities that have formally altered their names in recent decades to better reflect local language and heritage.