Is Kerala Set to Become Keralam? Union Cabinet Approves Name Change Ahead of Elections

Union Cabinet Approves Name Change for Kerala

New Delhi: Reports indicate that the Union Cabinet has given the green light to the Kerala government's request to officially rename the state to Keralam. This decision comes just ahead of the anticipated assembly elections in April-May.

On June 24, 2024, the Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution urging the central government to change the state's name to Keralam.

In a cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, it is believed that the proposal to alter the state's name from Kerala to Keralam was approved, according to sources.

This meeting marked the first gathering of the cabinet at the newly inaugurated Seva Teerth, the Prime Minister's Office's latest building.

The Kerala Assembly had to pass the resolution a second time after the Ministry of Home Affairs recommended some technical amendments to the initial proposal.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who introduced the resolution, emphasized the need for the union government to recognize the name change in all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

During the resolution's presentation, the chief minister noted that the name 'Keralam' is used in Malayalam and highlighted that the demand for a united Kerala for Malayalam-speaking communities has been a longstanding issue since the national freedom struggle.

However, the state's name is currently recorded as Kerala in the First Schedule of the Constitution.

Vijayan urged the Centre to promptly amend this under Article 3 of the Constitution, ensuring the name Keralam is adopted in all languages specified in the Eighth Schedule.

The Assembly had previously passed a similar resolution in August 2023, which was submitted to the Centre, but the Ministry of Home Affairs had suggested technical revisions.