Keralam: Kerala Name Change Explained | Article 3

Kerala Officially Renamed Keralam After Presidential Assent

Why in the News ?

President Droupadi Murmu has given assent to the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, formally changing the State’s name from Kerala to Keralam. The legislation follows a unanimous resolution by the Kerala Legislative Assembly and requires consequential constitutional amendments.

 

Background and Process of Renaming:

●      The Kerala Legislative Assembly passed a resolution in 2024 requesting the Union government to change the State’s name to Keralam.

●      The State government forwarded the resolution to the Centre in June 2024 for further constitutional action.

●      President Droupadi Murmu subsequently referred the proposal to the State Legislature for its views.

●      The Kerala Assembly then adopted a unanimous resolution supporting the proposed name change.

●      The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 was introduced to provide the legal and constitutional framework for changing the State’s name.

●      The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on August 11, 2026, followed by its passage in the Rajya Sabha on August 12.

●      Presidential assent has now converted the Bill into law, formally recognising Keralam as the State’s name.

Constitutional Basis and Significance

●      The legislation provides that the State previously known as Kerala shall officially be known as Keralam.

●      The change requires consequential amendments to the First Schedule of the Constitution, where the names and territories of States and Union Territories are specified.

●      Article 3 of the Constitution provides Parliament with the power to form new States and alter the area, boundaries or names of existing States.

●      A Bill under Article 3 can be introduced in Parliament only with the President’s recommendation.

●      The President refers such a Bill to the concerned State Legislature for expressing its views.

●      However, the State Legislature’s view is not binding on Parliament.

●      The renaming therefore demonstrates the constitutional mechanism through which territorial and nomenclature changes of States are undertaken.

Key provisions : Changing the Name of a State

●      Article 3: Empowers Parliament to alter the name, boundaries or area of a State.

●      Article 4: Provides that laws made under Articles 2 and 3 may contain consequential amendments to the First and Fourth Schedules.

●      First Schedule: Lists the States and Union Territories along with their territories.

●      The procedure begins with a Presidential recommendation, followed by reference of the Bill to the concerned State Legislature.

●      Parliament can accept or reject the State Legislature’s views.

●      Similar constitutional processes have been used for changes such as Orissa to Odisha and Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand.