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Indian state Kerala Officially Renamed Keralam
Indian state Kerala Officially Renamed Keralam
On February 24, 2026, the Union Cabinet officially cleared the proposal to rename the state of Kerala to Keralam. This decision marks the culmination of a long-standing demand by the state government to align the state's official English name with its traditional Malayalam name and linguistic identity.
The Road to "Keralam"
The journey to this official name change has been a years-long legislative process driven by cultural pride:
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Linguistic Roots: While the world knows it as "Kerala," the land has always been "Keralam" in Malayalam. The state was formed on November 1, 1956, on linguistic lines, and the term Keralam reflects the mother tongue of its people.
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The Resolutions: The Kerala Legislative Assembly, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, passed a unanimous resolution in August 2023 to rename the state. However, the Union Home Ministry returned it due to technical discrepancies. A second, revised resolution was passed unanimously on June 24, 2024, which finally received the Centre's nod in early 2026.
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Decolonization: The move is seen as a step toward shedding colonial-era nomenclature, similar to how Bombay became Mumbai and Madras became Chennai.
The Constitutional Process (Article 3)
Renaming a state in India is more complex than renaming a city. It requires a specific constitutional procedure under Article 3:
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Cabinet Approval: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal (Completed: Feb 24, 2026).
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Presidential Reference: The President of India will now refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, back to the Kerala State Assembly to seek its formal views.
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Parliamentary Vote: Once the state's views are received, the Bill will be introduced in Parliament. It must be passed by a simple majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
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Assent & Amendment: Upon receiving the President's signature, the First Schedule of the Indian Constitution will be amended to officially replace "Kerala" with "Keralam."
What Does "Keralam" Mean?
The name is deeply rooted in the geography and history of the region:
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Kera + Alam: The most popular etymology is that Kera means "coconut tree" and Alam means "land." Thus, Keralam is literally "The Land of Coconut Trees."
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Historical Edicts: The name traces back to the 3rd-century BCE Ashokan edicts, which referred to the region as Keralaputra.
Key Highlights
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Detail
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Information
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New Official Name
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Keralam
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Date of Cabinet Approval
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February 24, 2026
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Reason for Change
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Linguistic authenticity and cultural identity
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Constitutional Provision
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Article 3 of the Constitution of India
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Current Status
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Awaiting Parliamentary introduction and final notification
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