New Delhi, Aug. 12 -- Parliament on Wednesday cleared the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, with the Rajya Sabha approving the legislation by voice vote amid Opposition protests, completing the parliamentary process for changing the constitutional name of the southern state from "Kerala" to "Keralam".
The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on Tuesday. Moved by union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, the legislation seeks to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution to replace "Kerala" with "Keralam". The change will take effect after the Bill receives the assent of the President.
The proposed renaming is intended to provide constitutional recognition to "Keralam", the Malayalam name commonly used for the state and one ...