KOCHI: Kerala is officially Keralam from August 25, after the Union Home Ministry brought the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act, 2026 into force through a Gazette notification.
The change follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly in June 2024, Parliament’s approval of the Bill on August 11 and 12, and President Droupadi Murmu’s assent on August 14.
The Centre’s latest notification is the final legal step that activates the name change. During the Rajya Sabha proceedings, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the Bill provides that “the state of Kerala will be known as the state of Keralam”.
The move reflects the Malayalam name Keralam and has been welcomed by supporters as a recognition of the state’s linguistic and cultural identity. The notification also arrives on Uthradam, the eve of Thiruvonam, adding cultural significance to the development.
Gazette Makes Change Official
The Home Ministry’s August 25 notification appointed the same day as the date on which all provisions of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act, 2026 would come into force. The official e-Gazette lists the notification under Gazette ID CG-DL-E-25082026-275738, confirming that the legislation has now become operational.
The notification follows the passage of the Bill by both Houses of Parliament. The Lok Sabha cleared it on August 11, while the Rajya Sabha passed it by voice vote on August 12. President Murmu subsequently gave her assent on August 14, turning the Bill into law.
The legislation changes the state’s official name from Kerala to Keralam and makes consequential amendments to the Constitution, including the First Schedule where the names of states are listed. It does not create a new state or alter Kerala’s territory. The Centre’s latest notification is therefore the commencement of a law that had already received parliamentary and presidential approval.
From Assembly Resolution To Law
The demand for the change originated in the Kerala Assembly. A resolution was passed in June 2024 seeking to change the state’s official name to Keralam, with the state government forwarding it to the Centre the same month. The proposal was subsequently taken through the constitutional process under Article 3, which governs changes to the names, areas and boundaries of states.
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal in February 2026, paving the way for legislation in Parliament. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 10 by Nityanand Rai and passed the following day. The Rajya Sabha then cleared it on August 12.
The renaming is primarily linguistic. Keralam (കേരളം) is the Malayalam name by which the state is known, while Kerala is the form used in the Constitution and in English.
Supporters of the change have argued that adopting Keralam officially better reflects the state’s linguistic and cultural identity. The proposal has therefore been presented as an acknowledgement of how Malayalis themselves refer to their state rather than as a change to its political or geographical identity.
The timing has also given the announcement a symbolic dimension. The Centre’s notification came on Uthradam, immediately before Thiruvonam, the main day of Onam. Kerala-based reports have consequently described the development as an Onam gift for Malayalis.
A Long-Standing Linguistic Demand
The latest development closes a process that required agreement between the state legislature, Parliament and the Union government. In the Rajya Sabha, Rai said the 2024 Kerala Assembly resolution had urged the Centre to introduce legislation to change the state’s name. He explained that the Bill would provide that “the state of Kerala will be known as the state of Keralam”.
The parliamentary route also attracted political discussion. The Lok Sabha passed the Bill amid Opposition protests, with reports noting that the legislation was cleared without a detailed debate as disruptions continued in the House.
The Bill’s passage nevertheless represented the culmination of a demand that had received unanimous backing in the Kerala Assembly. The name change is now being implemented administratively, with government records and references expected to transition from Kerala to Keralam.
Kerala Kaumudi reported that records maintained by the Centre and the state are to be changed before August 25, 2027, giving authorities time to complete the transition. For people in the state, the immediate everyday impact is limited: Kerala’s boundaries, administration and population remain unchanged.
What changes is the state’s official name in constitutional and governmental usage. For Malayalis, however, the move carries a deeper significance because it places the Malayalam form of the state’s name at the centre of its formal identity.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
A state’s name is more than an entry in a government document; it can carry language, memory, history and a sense of belonging. The decision to officially use Keralam recognises the linguistic identity through which millions of Malayalis have long identified their state. At the same time, the process is a reminder that questions of identity are best addressed through constitutional mechanisms, democratic institutions and dialogue rather than confrontation.
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