Thiruvananthapuram - The Syro-Malabar church faithful will now be known as Syro-Malabar Syrian Catholics. In the list of 164 titular dioceses submitted by the Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to various sections in front and back divisions, the Syrian Catholic (Syro-Malabar) has been changed to Syro-Malabar Syrian Catholic in the 163rd position. This change was implemented with respect to its connection to the principals and secretaries.

The term "Syro-Malabar Syrian Catholic" refers to the members of the Knanaya Catholic, Dalit Catholic, and Nadaar Catholic communities who are included in the Syro-Malabar Church. This term has been used to identify the members of these communities who are outside the main categories.

At the same time, in the information provided during the time of registering marriages and in birth certificates, school admission time for children, and in other government-related records, the term "Syrian Catholic (Syro-Malabar)" should be mentioned as "Syro-Malabar Syrian Catholic," as emphasized by Mar Antony Thottathil, the then Metropolitan Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, in his circular issued in 2021.

For those who are economically backward and are eligible for reservation (Reservation for the Economically Backward Sections), Syro-Malabar Christians, as well as other eligible groups, were entitled to avail of the benefits of 10% reservation as declared by the government. The criteria for obtaining certificates for this are that they have to apply through the village office, situated near the village officer's office, for their respective residential area. There may be differences in the criteria for reservation between central and state-level elections.

The list of economically backward communities eligible for economic reservation was announced in a unique guest advertisement through the Kerala Government's Public Administration Department on June 3, 2021. Following this announcement, the Syro-Malabar Community's name was included as "Syrian Catholic (Syro-Malabar)" as per the advertisement, which matches the extraordinary gesture of the Kerala Government.