President Droupadi Murmu gives assent to bill to rename Kerala as Keralam

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has officially assented to the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, formally legalising the state's name change from Kerala to Keralam.

The parliamentary approval moved rapidly through both houses, with the Lok Sabha passing the legislation on August 11 and the Rajya Sabha following suit the next day.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha during the proceedings, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai highlighted the origins of the legislative move, stating, "The bill provides that the State of Kerala will be known as the State of Keralam, and hence there is a proposal to rename the State of Kerala to Keralam." He noted that the state assembly had initially passed a resolution in 2024 urging the Union Government to enact the name change.

The state government originally submitted its assembly-backed resolution to the Centre in June 2024. Following standard constitutional procedure, President Murmu referred the proposed legislation back to the state legislature for feedback, where the assembly unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the bill.

According to the statement of objects and reasons, the Act provides for the official alteration of the state's name alongside necessary constitutional amendments and consequential provisions. Under Article 3 of the Constitution, the First Schedule will be amended to update the state's entry from Kerala to Keralam.