What Happened
- The Union Cabinet approved the proposal to alter the name of the state of "Kerala" to "Keralam" on February 24, 2026 — fulfilling a long-standing demand from the Kerala government and legislature.
- The Kerala Legislative Assembly had passed resolutions unanimously requesting the name change in 2023 and again in June 2024, asserting that "Keralam" is the original Malayalam-language name of the state.
- The constitutionally mandated next step is the introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 in Parliament, followed by the President referring the proposed legislation to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its views before the final vote in both Houses of Parliament.
- The change requires amendment of the First Schedule of the Constitution, which lists the names of all states and Union Territories — this does not require a constitutional amendment under Article 368 (special majority); rather, it follows the simpler parliamentary procedure under Article 3.
- Once passed by Parliament with a simple majority and assented to by the President, "Keralam" will replace "Kerala" in the First Schedule.
- The name change does not affect state borders, revenue districts, judicial jurisdiction, or any federal administrative arrangement.
- The move carries both cultural and political significance, particularly ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections in 2026.
Static Topic Bridges
Article 3: Parliament's Power to Form, Reorganize, and Rename States
Article 3 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to: (a) form a new state by separation of territory from any existing state or by uniting two or more states; (b) increase or diminish the area of any state; (c) alter the boundaries of any state; and (d) alter the name of any state. Critically, a bill under Article 3 is introduced in Parliament on the recommendation of the President, and before the bill is introduced, the President must refer it to the Legislature of the affected State(s) for expressing views within a specified period — but Parliament is not bound by those views.
- Article 3 procedure: Presidential recommendation for introduction → referral to state legislature for views → Parliament passes the bill with simple majority (ordinary legislative procedure — NOT a constitutional amendment under Article 368)
- Parliament is not bound by the state legislature's views — only must await them; this preserves Parliamentary supremacy in state reorganization
- Article 4 clarifies: Laws made under Articles 3 and 4 shall not be deemed to be amendments of the Constitution for the purposes of Article 368 — i.e., they can be passed by simple majority
- First Schedule: Lists 28 states and 8 Union Territories by name; "Kerala" appears as the southernmost state on the western coast
- The procedure requires the President's assent after both Houses pass the bill — no ratification by states required
- Article 3 has been used many times: Creation of Telangana (2014), reorganization of J&K into two UTs (2019), creation of Chhattisgarh/Uttarakhand/Jharkhand (2000), Nagaland (1963), Haryana/Chandigarh (1966)
Connection to this news: The Cabinet approval on February 24, 2026 initiated the Article 3 process — the President will now refer the proposed bill to the Kerala Legislature for its views before Parliament takes up the legislation.
State Renaming in India: Constitutional, Linguistic, and Political Dimensions
India has a long history of state and city renaming, driven by post-colonial linguistic assertion, correction of colonial anglicizations, and political symbolism. Major state renamings include: Madras → Tamil Nadu (1969), Mysore → Karnataka (1973), Uttar Pradesh (originally United Provinces), Bombay → Maharashtra (through State Reorganization Act, 1956), and most recently Orissa → Odisha (2011) — the latter also driven by linguistic authenticity (Odia pronunciation). City renamings (Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru) followed similar trajectories but were state government decisions requiring notification — not constitutional amendments.
- Orissa → Odisha (2011): The most recent parallel — the Orissa (Alteration of Name) Act, 2011 used exactly the same Article 3 + Article 4 procedure; Parliament passed the bill with simple majority; First Schedule amended accordingly
- States Reorganization Act, 1956: Reorganized states primarily on linguistic basis following the Fazl Ali Commission (1953-55) — this is when Kerala was formed from Travancore-Cochin + Malabar district of Madras State; the name "Kerala" itself was a creation of this reorganization
- "Keralam": The original Malayalam name; the anglicized "Kerala" was a bureaucratic simplification during the British period; the letter 'm' at the end is a grammatical suffix in Malayalam indicating the nominative form
- City renaming: Done by state governments under the Metropolitan Area Planning Committee provisions or executive notification — does not require any central approval or constitutional change
- The 2019 J&K reorganization (Article 3 + J&K Reorganization Act, 2019): A more complex use of Article 3 — divided a state into two UTs (J&K UT and Ladakh UT); this was controversial as it also involved revocation of Article 370
Connection to this news: Kerala's case follows the same path as Odisha's 2011 rename — a straightforward Article 3 procedure requiring only a simple parliamentary majority. The cultural assertion ("Keralam" restores the authentic Malayalam form) mirrors Odisha's insistence on correcting "Orissa" to reflect Odia phonology.
First Schedule and Constitutional Schedules: Their Status and Amendment
The Constitution of India has 12 Schedules, each serving a specific cataloguing or regulatory function. The First Schedule lists the names and territories of states and Union Territories. The Schedules are integral to the Constitution — any change to them (depending on the Article involved) may or may not require the special amendment procedure of Article 368. When the First Schedule is amended through the Article 3 + Article 4 pathway (state renaming or reorganization), it is specifically exempted from the Article 368 special majority requirement.
- First Schedule: Lists all 28 states and 8 UTs with their names; does not define boundaries (those are specified through Presidential orders under the States Reorganization Act)
- Schedules that require simple majority to amend (through Article 4): Changes to First Schedule via Article 3 (state reorganization/renaming)
- Schedules requiring special majority + state ratification (Article 368): Fourth Schedule (allocation of seats in Rajya Sabha), Seventh Schedule (three legislative lists), etc.
- All 12 Schedules: 1st (states/UTs), 2nd (salaries/emoluments), 3rd (oaths), 4th (RS seats), 5th (scheduled areas), 6th (tribal areas in NE India), 7th (three lists), 8th (22 recognized languages), 9th (laws protected from judicial review), 10th (anti-defection), 11th (Panchayat subjects), 12th (Municipal subjects)
- Eighth Schedule recognition: Malayalam is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages; languages with "classical language" status (Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Pali, Prakrit) qualify for additional central support
Connection to this news: The Kerala → Keralam change requires amending the First Schedule — but via the simpler Article 3+4 route (simple majority), not the more demanding Article 368 process. This distinction is frequently tested in Prelims.
Key Facts & Data
- Cabinet approval: February 24, 2026
- Kerala Assembly resolutions requesting name change: 2023 and June 24, 2024
- Constitutional basis: Article 3 (Parliament's power to alter state names) + Article 4 (such laws not deemed Article 368 amendments)
- Amendment required: First Schedule of the Constitution (list of states and UTs)
- Parliamentary majority required: Simple majority (not special majority under Article 368)
- State legislature referral: Mandatory under Article 3 — President must refer the bill to Kerala Legislature for views before introduction in Parliament
- Parliament is NOT bound by state legislature's views on the bill
- Most recent parallel: Orissa → Odisha (2011) via the same Article 3+4 procedure
- Kerala formed: States Reorganization Act, 1956 — from Travancore-Cochin + Malabar; name "Kerala" from this reorganization
- "Keralam": Original Malayalam-language name; the final 'm' is a grammatical suffix (nominative case in Malayalam)
- State's official language: Malayalam; Classical Language status: granted to Malayalam in 2013
- Kerala Assembly elections: Due in 2026 — political timing of the move noted by analysts
- Eighth Schedule: Malayalam is one of 22 officially recognized languages of India