Last Updated:February 25, 2026, 10:57 IST

The shift from “Kerala” to “Keralam” aligns the state’s official name with how it is spoken in Malayalam.

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday, February 24, cleared Kerala’s proposal to officially change its name to “Keralam." Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the change will require an amendment to the First Schedule of the Constitution of India, where the state is currently listed as “Kerala."

The shift from “Kerala" to “Keralam" aligns the state’s official name with how it is spoken in Malayalam. Though the variation appears minor in English, “Keralam" carries cultural and linguistic significance for the people of the state, which is commonly interpreted as “the land of coconuts."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to the decision on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The decision of the Union Cabinet on alteration of the name of Kerala to Keralam reflects the will of the people of the state. It is in line with our efforts to strengthen the connect with our glorious culture."

Ashwini Vaishnaw added that the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, will now be sent to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its formal review.

How The Process Began

The proposal began in June 2024 when the Kerala Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution for the name change. The state government later forwarded the request to the Centre.

The resolution read: “The name of our State is ‘Keralam’ in the Malayalam Language. States were formed on the basis of language on the 1st day of November, 1956. The Kerala Piravi Day is also on the 1st day of November. Since the time of National Independence Struggle, there has been a strong demand for the formation of United Kerala for the people speaking Malayalam language. But in the First Schedule to the Constitution the name of our State is recorded as ‘Kerala’. This Assembly unanimously appeal to the Central Government to take urgent steps as per Article 3 of the Constitution for modifying the name as ‘Keralam’."

Under Article 3 of the Constitution, Parliament has the authority to change the name of a state. As per the reports, the earlier attempt to pass the resolution had procedural issues, after which it was reintroduced.

What Happens Next After Cabinet Nod

With the Union Cabinet clearing the proposal, the formal constitutional process under Article 3 will now begin.

As per procedure, the President will first refer the Bill to the Kerala Legislative Assembly to seek its views. Once the Assembly responds, the Centre will move ahead with the next steps.

After that, the President’s recommendation will be obtained to introduce the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 in Parliament. If Parliament passes the Bill and the President gives assent, “Keralam" will officially replace “Kerala" in the Constitution as well as in all legal and administrative records.

Strong Support From the Malayali Community in the UAE

The decision has been warmly welcomed by the Malayali community in the UAE, where nearly one million Malayalis live, The Times of India reported.

For many in the Gulf, the state has always been “Keralam" in daily speech, even if official documents like passports, airline tickets and maps used “Kerala." Now that the change is closer to becoming official, the development has sparked pride, humour and even some practical concerns among expatriates.

Those who spoke to the UAE-based outlet Khaleej Times described the move as a natural correction, similar to Bombay becoming Mumbai or Madras being renamed Chennai. They believe the change restores the traditional Malayalam identity of the state instead of a colonial-era version.

Sree Prakash Purayath, General Secretary of the Indian Association Sharjah (IAS), said that in Malayalam, the state has “always been called Keralam." “The name Kerala is often viewed as from the colonial era and subsequent official documentation," he said.

He explained that the word may have originated from “Cheram", which is linked to the Chera dynasty or from “Kera", meaning coconut tree and “Alam", which means land. They together mean “The Land of the Coconut Trees." He added, “It’s a classic case of endonym versus exonym. When a state reclaims its native name, it is often a powerful act of linguistic and cultural affirmation."

Mini Thomas, a school teacher from Kollam, said, “It’s like the world catching up to how we’ve always spoken."

But not all voices are supportive. Nissar Thalangara, President of the Indian Association Sharjah and a representative of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), felt that retaining “Kerala" would have been better. According to him, “Kerala" is a more international term while “Keralam" sounds more local.

He also suggested that a public poll could have been conducted before taking such a decision and said that keeping the existing name might have helped in attracting more international visitors.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who represents Thiruvananthapuram, took to X to humourously ask whether residents would now be called “Keralamites," “Keralamians," or simply “Malayalis."

“’Keralamite’ sounds like a microbe and ‘Keralamian’ like a rare earth mineral…! CMO might want to launch a competition for new terms resulting from this electoral zeal," he added.

“This is a very nice step forward for the Nation in making its states, to start recognising the richness of its own culture. Hope people of Keralam realise the importance of Nationalistic living, which is the only Holistic way to thrive towards prosperity in & out," a user wrote.

Why The Decision Also Carries Political Weight

The approval is also being seen in a political context as the BJP-led government at the Centre backing the proposal signals that it is willing to support a demand raised by the Kerala Assembly. For the party, endorsing the Malayalam form of the state’s name fits into its larger narrative of promoting cultural roots and linguistic identity.

Language has often been a sensitive issue in Kerala during debates around the three-language formula and Hindi. The state government has said that students can learn multiple languages, but Hindi should not be made compulsory.

At the same time, the Centre has repeatedly said that Indian languages must be encouraged in governance and education. Last year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said, “Hindi is a friend of all languages, and together, Hindi and other Indian languages enhance our self-pride."

The timing of the approval is also important. The decision comes ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, scheduled for the first half of this year. The BJP is trying to expand in Kerala, where the Left and the Congress have usually seen strong support. By supporting the name change passed by the Kerala Assembly, the Centre can show that it is responding to a demand raised within the state. The move will help the party appear supportive of Kerala’s cultural identity.

Why West Bengal’s Name Change Is Still Pending

After the Cabinet cleared Kerala’s proposal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reacted by saying, “We have nothing against any state. Kerala’s proposal has been accepted because there is an understanding between the BJP and the CPM."

“They [BJP] won’t be in power forever. We will get the Bengal name for our state," she added and reiterated her government’s push to rename West Bengal as Bangla.

The push to change the state’s name is not new. It goes back to 1999 when the Left Front government under Jyoti Basu suggested options such as “Paschim Bangla" and “Bangla." Over the years, different governments in the state have tried multiple versions.

After Mamata Banerjee took office in 2011, her government proposed “Paschim Banga" in English and Bangla, but the Centre did not clear it. A few years later, in 2016, another attempt was made with three different names: “Bengal" in English, “Bangla" in Bangla and “Bangal" in Hindi. This proposal was rejected. The Centre stated that only one uniform name could be considered.

In 2018, the Assembly passed yet another resolution, this time choosing only “Bangla." The state government said the change would also help avoid being called last in official meetings because of alphabetical order. Mamata Banerjee had pointed out that West Bengal often got a chance to speak later in meetings when attention levels were lower.

Even then, the proposal did not move forward. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, junior home minister Nityanand Rai stated, “Change in the name of a state requires constitutional amendment after taking into consideration all relevant factors."

There were also concerns raised by the Ministry of External Affairs. Officials felt that the name “Bangla" could be confused with Bangladesh at international forums, as per The Hindu.

The issue remains active as Trinamool MP Ritabrata Banerjee again raised the matter in the Rajya Sabha last year in February.

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