Preparations have begun for another historic change on the map of India. On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, the Central Government approved a proposal to change the name of the state of Kerala to "Keralam." This decision, taken at the first Cabinet meeting held at the new PMO building, "Seva Tirtha," is considered to go beyond administrative changes and also reflect the state's linguistic identity and cultural heritage.

On June 24, 2024, the Kerala Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union Government to change the state's name to "Kerala." This move comes ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections scheduled for April-May.

Following the Union Cabinet's approval, the President of India will forward a bill, titled the Kerala Bill, 2026, to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala for its opinion under the provisions of Article 3 of the Constitution of India.

An official release stated that, after receiving the opinion of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, the Government of India will seek a recommendation from the President to introduce the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, in Parliament to change the name of Kerala to 'Keralaam'. The Kerala Assembly passed this resolution for the second time because the Ministry of Home Affairs suggested some technical changes.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wanted the central government to change the name of the southern state from Kerala to Keralam in all languages ​​included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Introducing the resolution, the Chief Minister stated that the state is called 'Keralaam' in Malayalam and that the demand for a united Kerala for the Malayalam-speaking communities has been strongly raised since the national independence struggle.

Article 3 of the Constitution provides for the change of names of existing states. Article 3 of the Indian Constitution empowers Parliament to change the name of any state, alter its area or boundaries, or create new states by passing a simple majority bill. This process requires prior recommendation from the President and consultation with the relevant state legislature, although the final decision rests with Parliament.

This decision by the Union Cabinet is also being linked to the upcoming assembly elections in Kerala. The last assembly elections in Kerala were held in April 2021. Thus, elections could be held in April-May 2026. Kerala submitted a proposal for a name change in 2024, which has now been approved.