What Happened
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved the proposal to alter the name of the State of 'Kerala' to 'Keralam' — aligning the constitutional English name with the state's name in Malayalam script
- Following Cabinet approval, the President of India will refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for expressing its views, as required by the proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution
- After the state legislature expresses its views (within the period specified by the President), the central government will seek the President's recommendation for introducing the Bill in Parliament
- The proposal was processed through the Ministry of Home Affairs and concurred by the Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department under the Ministry of Law and Justice
- The name change aligns with Kerala's longstanding position that the state's authentic name in its own language — Keralam — should be reflected in the First Schedule of the Constitution
Static Topic Bridges
Article 3 of the Constitution — Formation and Reorganisation of States
Article 3 of the Constitution of India empowers Parliament to reorganise states — forming new states, altering areas, boundaries, or names of existing states. The power to alter state names rests solely with Parliament; states cannot change their own names independently.
The proviso to Article 3 mandates a specific procedure: No Bill for any such purpose can be introduced in either House of Parliament except on the recommendation of the President, and only after the Bill has been referred by the President to the legislature of the affected state for expressing its views within a specified period.
Crucially, the Supreme Court in Babulal Parate v. State of Bombay (1960) held that the state legislature's role is only advisory — Parliament can proceed even if the state legislature disagrees or fails to express its views within the allotted time.
- Article 3 powers: Parliament can (a) form new states; (b) increase/diminish area of any state; (c) alter boundaries; (d) alter names
- Article 3 proviso: Bill must carry President's recommendation + state legislature must be given opportunity to express views
- State legislature's views: Advisory only — not binding on Parliament (upheld in Babulal Parate v. State of Bombay, 1960)
- Type of majority required in Parliament: Simple majority (ordinary legislation) — NOT a constitutional amendment under Article 368
- First Schedule of the Constitution: Lists names of states and union territories — amended by Parliament via ordinary legislation under Article 3, not by constitutional amendment
- Prior examples of name changes under Article 3: Madras → Tamil Nadu (1969), Mysore → Karnataka (1973), Uttaranchal → Uttarakhand (2006), Orissa → Odisha (2011)
Connection to this news: The Kerala name change follows this established constitutional path — Cabinet approval → Presidential reference to state legislature → state views expressed → Presidential recommendation for Bill introduction → Parliament passes by simple majority.
First Schedule and Constitutional Amendments Involving State Names
The First Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists the names of states (Part A–D in the original; now simply 28 states and 8 Union Territories). Altering the First Schedule to reflect a name change does not require the special amendment procedure under Article 368 (which requires a special majority and, in some cases, ratification by states). Instead, it is accomplished by ordinary legislation in Parliament based on Article 3.
This is significant: state name changes do not trigger the supermajority requirement or state ratification requirement that applies to amendments altering the basic structure or fundamental constitutional provisions.
- Article 368: Procedure for constitutional amendments — requires 2/3 of members present and voting + 1/2 of total membership (special majority) for most amendments; some require state ratification too
- State name changes via Article 3: Require only simple majority in Parliament; no special majority needed
- Schedule 1 amendment for name change: Done via ordinary law (the Alteration of Name Act), not via Art. 368 amendment
- Recent precedent: Odisha (from Orissa) — The Orissa (Alteration of Name) Act, 2011, passed by Parliament; amended the First Schedule accordingly
- Other pending name change requests: West Bengal has sought to be renamed "Bangla" or "Paschim Banga" — still pending as of 2026
Connection to this news: Parliament will pass the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 by a simple majority to amend the First Schedule — a straightforward legislative exercise once the state legislature expresses its views.
Linguistic and Federal Dimensions of State Naming
The States Reorganisation Act, 1956, reorganised India's states primarily along linguistic lines, following the recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission (1953–55, chaired by Justice S. Fazal Ali). Kerala was created on November 1, 1956, by merging the Travancore-Cochin State with the Malabar district of the former Madras State — based on the Malayalam-speaking population.
The demand to rename 'Kerala' as 'Keralam' arises from the argument that 'Keralam' is the correct form in Malayalam (the official state language), and the Anglicised 'Kerala' was adopted in the English text of the Constitution without faithfully representing the original name.
- Kerala formation: November 1, 1956 (observed as Kerala Piravi — Kerala's birthday)
- States Reorganisation Commission (1953–55): Chaired by Justice S. Fazal Ali; recommended linguistic reorganisation of states
- States Reorganisation Act, 1956: Primary legislative basis for reorganisation of states along linguistic lines
- Kerala's official language: Malayalam; 8th Schedule of the Constitution lists Malayalam among 22 scheduled languages
- 8th Schedule: Lists 22 officially recognised languages; was originally 14 languages — expanded by amendments over the years
- Eighth Schedule Amendment for Malayalam: Malayalam was one of the 14 original languages in the 8th Schedule in 1950
Connection to this news: The name change from Kerala to Keralam represents alignment of the constitutional English-language name with the authentic Malayalam form — a linguistic rectification rather than a political or territorial change.
Key Facts & Data
- Bill: Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026
- Constitutional provision: Proviso to Article 3 (President's reference to state legislature mandatory before introduction in Parliament)
- Parliamentary majority required: Simple majority (ordinary legislation, not a constitutional amendment)
- Schedule to be amended: First Schedule of the Constitution (lists state and UT names)
- Precedent: Orissa renamed Odisha — The Orissa (Alteration of Name) Act, 2011
- State legislature's role: Advisory only — views must be sought but are not binding on Parliament
- Supreme Court precedent: Babulal Parate v. State of Bombay (1960) — state legislature's views not binding
- Kerala formation date: November 1, 1956 (under States Reorganisation Act, 1956)
- States Reorganisation Commission: 1953–55; chaired by Justice S. Fazal Ali