Why in News?

• The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to rename the State of Kerala as Keralam, reflecting the linguistic and cultural identity of the Malayalam-speaking population.
• The proposed Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 will now be referred to the Kerala Legislative Assembly under Article 3 of the Constitution, after which Parliament will consider the amendment to the First Schedule.
• The move follows resolutions passed unanimously by the Kerala Assembly in 2023 and 2024 and is seen as an assertion of linguistic identity and historical continuity.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Procedure for Renaming a State
• Rationale Behind Renaming
• Historical Background
• Administrative and Political Dimensions
• Concerns and Significance
• Conclusion

Procedure for Renaming a State:

• Constitutional/ legal basis: Article 3 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to form new states, alter boundaries, change names of states.
• Steps involved:
  • Proposal initiated by the state government.
  • Examination by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
  • Consultation with departments such as Intelligence Bureau, Survey of India, Registrar General of India, Department of Posts, Ministry of Railways.
  • The President refers the Bill to the State Legislature for views.
  • Introduction and passage of Bill in Parliament.
  • Presidential assent and notification.
• Current status:
  • The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal.
  • The President will refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the Kerala Assembly.
  • After receiving the Assembly’s views, the Bill will be introduced in Parliament. 

Rationale Behind Renaming:

• Linguistic identity: Kerala was created on 1 November 1956 during linguistic reorganisation of states. The state's name in Malayalam is Keralam. Kerala Piravi Day commemorates the state's formation.
• Constitutional discrepancy: The First Schedule lists the state as "Kerala". Assembly resolutions sought correction to "Keralam".
• Correction of earlier resolution: The 2023 resolution attempted changes in all Eighth Schedule languages, but technical discrepancies required a fresh resolution in 2024.

Historical Background:

• Origin of the name "Keralam": Several theories exist -
  • Mention in Ashoka’s Rock Edict II (257 BCE) as Keralaputra, linked to the Chera dynasty.
  • Derived from Cheram, referring to the ancient Chera Scholar Herman Gundert linked "Keralam" to Cheram, meaning "joined land". "Alam" denotes land or region.
• Movement for a unified Kerala:
  • Aikya Kerala movement: Began in the 1920s, demanding unification of Malayalam-speaking areas - Malabar, Kochi, Travancore.
  • Formation of Kerala: Travancore and Kochi merged in 1949. State Reorganisation Commission (Fazl Ali Commission) recommended formation of Kerala. Kerala officially formed in 1956 on linguistic basis.

Administrative and Political Dimensions:

• Union Cabinet decision: The name change decision was approved at the first Cabinet meeting held at Seva Teerth (new PMO complex). It is seen as reflecting the “will of the people”, and is supported across political parties in Kerala.
• Seva Sankalp resolution: The cabinet adopted a governance pledge inspired by "Nagrik Devo Bhava", emphasising citizen-centric governance, transparency and service orientation.

Concerns and Significance:

• Concerns/ challenges:
  • Administrative adjustments: Changes required in official records, government documents, maps and surveys, educational materials, etc.
  • Past proposals have failed: 2018 proposal to rename West Bengal as Bangla was rejected due to similarity with Bangladesh.
  • Political timing: Decision comes ahead of Kerala Assembly elections, raising political interpretations.
• Significance:
  • Cultural significance: Reinforces linguistic federalism. Strengthens regional identity within the Union.
  • Federalism dimension: Demonstrates cooperative federalism - State initiative, Central approval, Parliamentary process.
  • Historical continuity: Aligns constitutional nomenclature with historical usage.

Conclusion:

• The proposed renaming of Kerala to Keralam represents a symbolic but significant exercise in linguistic federalism and cultural recognition.
• While the change requires constitutional formalities and administrative adjustments, it aligns the state's constitutional identity with its historical and linguistic reality, reinforcing India's pluralistic federal structure.