Centre accepts state’s long-standing demand to change name of Kerala to ‘Keralam’

NEW DELHI: Kerala will be known as Keralam from now on. The union government has accepted the state's long-standing demand to change the name of the state to 'Keralam' in the Constitution. The union cabinet meet approved Kerala government’s proposal presented in the Parliament today. The approval was given in the first cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister's new office 'Seva Theerth'.

The name of the state is registered as 'Kerala' in the first schedule of the Constitution. The state's demand was that it be amended to 'Keralam'. In June 2024, the Kerala Assembly had passed a resolution demanding that urgent steps be taken under Article 3 of the Constitution for this. This demand came for the consideration of the Union Cabinet today.

The Kerala Assembly had also passed a resolution making the same demand in August 2023. However, the Center returned it citing some technical issues. The first resolution had demanded changes in the first schedule and the eighth schedule of the Constitution. However, the Center's direction was that only the first schedule be changed. Accordingly, the revised resolution was passed by the Assembly and sent back to the Center.

BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar had also written to the Prime Minister seeking his intervention in changing Kerala to Keralam. The letter also mentioned that the Assembly had passed a resolution in this regard.