Union Cabinet nod for ‘Kerala’ to become ‘Keralam’

25 FEBRUARY 2026

The Union Cabinet approved the Kerala government’s proposal to change the State’s name from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’, the name used in the Malayalam language.
The President will now refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the Kerala Legislative Assembly to express its views, under the proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution of India, a government statement said.
Once these views are received, the Union government will take further action to obtain the President’s recommendation to introduce the name change legislation in Parliament.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at its first gathering at Seva Teerth, the new complex housing the Prime Minister’s Office.
The move comes almost two years after the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution seeking the name change.