Parliament Approves Bill to Rename Kerala as Keralam

India's Parliament has approved a bill to officially change the name of the state of Kerala to Keralam. The Rajya Sabha passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, by a voice vote on Wednesday, following its passage in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. This legislative action comes over two years after the Kerala State Assembly unanimously passed a resolution requesting the central government to implement the name change.

The bill amends the Constitution, including the First Schedule, to reflect the new name. During the parliamentary discussion, Members of Parliament (MPs) from various parties expressed support for the renaming. Some MPs also used the opportunity to advocate for name changes of other states, cities, and railway stations across the country.

Key Facts

• The Rajya Sabha passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, on Wednesday.
• The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on Tuesday.
• The Bill changes the name of the state of Kerala to Keralam.
• The legislation makes necessary amendments to the Constitution, including the First Schedule.
• The Bill was passed by a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha.
• Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, introduced the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
• The state Assembly had passed a unanimous resolution asking the Centre for the name change over two years prior.
• The proposed name, Keralam, is the Malayalam name for the state.

Background

The renaming reflects the linguistic identity of the state, as Keralam is the Malayalam word for the region. Several MPs highlighted the significance of names and the importance of respecting regional identities during the parliamentary debate. While the primary focus was on the Kerala name change, discussions also touched upon other proposed name alterations, such as changing West Bengal's name to Bangla and Patna's name to Pataliputra. The Minister of State for Home indicated that the government would consider such proposals if submitted through the established process.