NEW DELHI — India’s upper house of parliament, the Rajya Sabha, on Thursday passed legislation to change the constitutional name of the southern state of Kerala to “Keralam,” completing parliamentary approval of the proposed name change.
The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, had been passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid opposition protests and was approved by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, according to reports from Indian media. The measure seeks to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution, where the state’s official name is listed as Kerala.
The bill now requires the assent of President Droupadi Murmu before the change can take effect. Once enacted, the name Keralam will be used in the constitutional and official records covered by the legislation.
The move follows a process that began with a unanimous resolution of the Kerala Legislative Assembly on June 24, 2024, calling for the state to be renamed Keralam. The Union Cabinet approved the proposal in February 2026 and said the change would reflect the name used for the state in Malayalam.
Under Article 3 of the Constitution, the President referred the proposed legislation to the Kerala Assembly for its views. The state legislature unanimously endorsed the proposal on July 1, approving all 10 clauses of the draft bill.
The name “Keralam” is the Malayalam form used for the state. The Kerala government’s original resolution said the state had been formed in 1956 on linguistic lines for Malayalam-speaking communities and argued that Keralam was the appropriate name in the constitutional framework.
The legislation concerns the formal constitutional name and does not create a new state or alter Kerala’s territory, administrative structure or status within India.
The Lok Sabha’s passage on Tuesday came during continued disruptions in Parliament, with opposition members demanding the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah over other issues. Reports said the renaming bill was passed without debate in the lower house.
With both houses having approved the legislation, the next formally required step is consideration by the President. The state’s name change will take effect after presidential assent and the subsequent constitutional and official notifications.
