New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill seeking to change the official name of the state of Kerala to Keralam. The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 was approved by voice vote amid protests by Opposition members, with the legislation being passed without a detailed discussion in the House.
The bill aims to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution to replace the name Kerala with Keralam. The proposed change does not alter the boundaries of the state or create any administrative changes to its districts. It is focused only on changing the official constitutional name of the state.
The development has drawn attention in Kerala because the proposal has been under discussion for several years. The Kerala Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution in June 2024 asking the Union government to change the state's name from Kerala to Keralam. The resolution said Keralam is the name traditionally used for the state in Malayalam and that the change would better reflect the state's linguistic and cultural identity.
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal in February this year, beginning the next stage of the constitutional process. The bill was subsequently introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 10, 2026. It was taken up for consideration and passage the following day.
The passage of the bill became controversial because Opposition members said Kerala MPs were not given a proper opportunity to speak on the proposal. The Lok Sabha was witnessing protests over other political issues when the legislation was taken up. Opposition members objected to important legislation being passed while the House was disrupted and demanded an opportunity for discussion.
The government, however, proceeded with the bill. Supporters of the proposal pointed out that the name change had originated from a unanimous resolution of the Kerala Assembly and argued that the change reflected the state's own long standing demand.
The use of the word Keralam is already familiar to people in Kerala. It is the Malayalam name commonly used for the state, while Kerala is the name used in English and in the Constitution. The proposed change would therefore bring the constitutional name closer to the name used in the state's Malayalam language and public life.
The bill also has a longer history. The Kerala Assembly had earlier expressed its support for the name change before passing the unanimous resolution in 2024. The latest parliamentary action represents a major step towards turning that demand into a legal change.
However, Kerala cannot yet be officially described as having been renamed Keralam. The Lok Sabha has passed the bill, but the parliamentary process is not complete. The legislation still has to be considered by the Rajya Sabha. If it is approved by both Houses of Parliament, it will then require the assent of the President before becoming law.
The proposed law also says that it will come into force on a date decided by the central government through an official notification. This means the practical use of the new name would begin only after the complete legal process has been finished and the government brings the change into effect.
If the bill eventually becomes law, the change could require adjustments to official government records, documents, websites, forms, signs and other administrative material. The transition would take place over time as government departments update their records and systems.
For many people in Kerala, however, the change is more than an administrative matter. The word Keralam has a strong connection with the Malayalam language and the cultural identity of the state. Supporters see the proposal as a way of formally recognising the name by which the state is known among its Malayalam speaking population.
The political debate is now likely to continue as the bill moves to the Rajya Sabha. The main question will be whether the upper house approves the legislation and allows the proposal to move towards its final constitutional stage.
For now, the key development is that the Lok Sabha has cleared the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026. The state remains officially known as Kerala until the bill completes the remaining parliamentary process, receives presidential assent and is brought into force by the central government.