Thiruvananthapuram: As part of the proposed change to the state’s official name from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’ in Malayalam, the names of state institutions, including universities, will also be revised.

The Kerala Legislative Assembly will be renamed the Keralam Legislative Assembly, while other government institutions carrying the word “Kerala” in their Malayalam names will also adopt the new nomenclature.

The draft Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, sent by the President to the state government for its views, will be discussed in the Kerala Legislative Assembly for two hours on July 1. The state has been asked to communicate its opinion to the Centre by July 17.

The name change will come into effect only after the bill is passed by Parliament and receives legal assent. The implementation date and transition timeline will be specified once the legislation is enacted.

Although the state is commonly referred to as “Keralam” in Malayalam, the First Schedule of the Constitution of India currently lists its official name as “Kerala” in Malayalam. Since the proposal requires a constitutional amendment, the Centre has sought the state’s formal opinion before proceeding.

The change will also apply to the names of universities and other institutions. However, documents and certificates issued before the law comes into force will remain valid. A provision will clarify that certificates bearing names such as “University of Kerala” in Malayalam will be deemed equivalent to “University of Keralam”, eliminating the need for reissuance.

The proposed legislation is titled the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026. The renaming enjoys unanimous support from all major political parties in the state.

The move follows a resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 2023 seeking to officially rename the state as “Keralam.” While an earlier resolution faced procedural hurdles and was not accepted by the Centre, the Union Cabinet later approved the proposal, paving the way for the current bill.