Kerala takes another step towards becoming ‘Keralam,’ Assembly unanimously approves President’s reference

The Kerala Legislative Assembly on Wednesday (July 1, 2026) unanimously endorsed the President’s reference on the proposal to officially rename the State from Kerala to ‘Keralam.’

The House considered the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, which was referred by the President to seek its opinion. The legislators unanimously endorsed all queries raised by the President on the Bill’s 10 clauses, including approval of its title and its provisions.

With no objections from any member, the Assembly recorded its unanimous consent on each of the points read out by Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.

Describing it as a “historic moment,” the Speaker said this was the first time a Presidential reference has been sent to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its opinion.

The Bill, which received the Union Cabinet’s approval in February 2026, will next be introduced in Parliament. Once passed by Parliament and notified, the State’s official name will be changed from Kerala to Keralam.

Resolution in June, 2024

The developments follow a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly on June 24, 2024, seeking the name change. The resolution, introduced by the former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, highlighted that the State’s name in Malayalam is ‘Keralam’ and that the official name should reflect its linguistic and cultural identity.

The resolution pointed out that States were reorganised on linguistic lines on November 1, 1956, and that Kerala Piravi is observed on the same date. It also recalled that the demand for a united Malayalam-speaking State had been a longstanding aspiration that dated back to the Independence movement.

Noting that the First Schedule of the Constitution recorded the State’s name as ‘Kerala,’ the Assembly had urged the Union government to adopt steps under Article 3 of the Constitution to officially rename the State as ‘Keralam.’