Union Cabinet Clears Proposal to Rename Kerala as ‘Keralam’ Ahead of Assembly Polls
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday is understood to have approved the Kerala government’s proposal to officially change the state’s name from “Kerala” to “Keralam,” according to sources familiar with the development. The decision comes months before the state’s Assembly elections, expected to be held in April–May. The approval reportedly followed a Cabinet meeting held at Seva Teerth, the newly inaugurated Prime Minister’s Office complex.
The move follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly on June 24, 2024, urging the Centre to adopt “Keralam” as the official name in all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The Assembly had earlier passed a similar resolution in August 2023, but the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sought technical modifications, prompting the state to adopt the resolution again.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who introduced the motion, argued that “Keralam” reflects the state’s name in Malayalam and carries historical and cultural significance dating back to the freedom movement, when the demand for a unified homeland for Malayalam-speaking people gained momentum. Since the Constitution’s First Schedule currently lists the state as “Kerala,” the Assembly requested the Centre to initiate the necessary amendment under Article 3 to formalize the change across all official languages.
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