Kerala is now ‘Keralam’: President Droupadi Murmu gives final nod to name change
President Droupadi Murmu has approved legislation changing the official name of Kerala to Keralam. The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, received approval after being passed by the Lok Sabha and subsequently cleared by the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote.
The legislation changes the state’s name in the First Schedule of the Constitution and gives effect to the proposed designation of the state as Keralam.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the Kerala Assembly had first passed a resolution in 2024 requesting the Centre to initiate the process of changing the state’s name. The state government forwarded the resolution to the Union government in June that year.
The proposal was later sent back to the state legislature for its views, following which the Kerala Assembly unanimously endorsed the proposed change.
The legislation includes the constitutional amendments and related provisions required to replace the word “Kerala” with “Keralam” in the First Schedule.
BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar welcomed the development but criticised MPs from the LDF and UDF for not being present when the legislation was passed. Speaking in Delhi, he described the renaming as a longstanding demand and said the BJP had previously approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the matter.
Chandrasekhar said the passage of the Bill had been welcomed by people and literary personalities in Kerala and described it as an important moment for the state. He also accused opposition parties of failing to support an issue that, according to him, had been pending for years.