New Delhi. A bill to change the name of the state of Kerala to “Keralaam” was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday. After receiving unanimous approval from the Kerala Legislative Assembly, it has now been introduced in Parliament.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai introduced the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, amid uproar in the House today. The state is traditionally called “Keralaam” in the Malayalam language. This initiative is intended to give official status to this cultural identity. Under this bill, necessary amendments will be made to the First Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The name change will also include necessary consequential amendments to other constitutional and administrative documents related to the state.
It is noteworthy that the Kerala Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on June 24, 2024, requesting the central government to change the state’s name. This resolution stated that necessary steps should be taken under Article 3 of the Constitution of India to amend the First Schedule and change the state’s name from “Kerala” to “Keralaam.”
Under the provisions of Article 3 of the Constitution, the President referred the bill to the Kerala State Legislature for its opinion. The Kerala Legislative Assembly deliberated extensively on the “Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026” and passed it unanimously.