Union Cabinet approves proposal to rename Kerala as ‘Keralam’

ANALYSIS

1. Background of the Proposal

• The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to alter the name of the Kerala to “Keralam”.
• The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The proposal follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on June 24, 2024.
• Earlier resolutions moved in 2023 and 2024 by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan did not receive approval from the Centre.

2. Constitutional Procedure under Article 3

• Article 3 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to:
  • Form new States,
  • Alter boundaries,
  • Change the name of existing States.
• Process involved:
  • Proposal must originate from the State Government.
  • The President refers the Bill to the concerned State Legislature for expressing its views within a specified time.
  • The Bill can be introduced in Parliament only on the recommendation of the President.
  • If passed, the First Schedule of the Constitution is amended to reflect the change.
• The proposed legislation is titled: Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026.

3. Rationale Behind the Name Change

• The name of the State in Malayalam language is “Keralam”.
• States were reorganised on linguistic lines on November 1, 1956 — celebrated as Kerala Piravi.
• The Assembly argued that while the state is referred to as “Keralam” in Malayalam, the First Schedule of the Constitution records it as “Kerala”.
• The resolution appeals to align the constitutional name with the linguistic identity of the state.

4. Historical and Linguistic Roots

• The earliest epigraphic reference appears in Rock Edict II of Ashoka (257 BCE), mentioning “Keralaputra”.
• “Keralaputra” is interpreted as referring to the Chera dynasty.
• Scholar Herman Gundert traced “Keralam” to “Cheram”.
• The root “cher” means “to join”.
• “Alam” means land or region — indicating a joined land or region.

5. Administrative Examination

• After the State’s request:
  • The Ministry of Home Affairs examined the proposal.
  • The Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department concurred.
  • Processed with approval of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

6. Comparative Instances of Renaming

• During the UPA tenure (2006):
  • Odisha (earlier Orissa)
  • Puducherry (earlier Pondicherry)
• During NDA rule:
  • Uttarakhand (earlier Uttaranchal) – 2007
  • Mumbai (earlier Bombay) – 1996
  • Bengaluru (earlier Bangalore) – 2014
• A 2018 proposal to rename West Bengal as Bangla was not cleared due to concerns raised by the Ministry of External Affairs regarding similarity with Bangladesh.

7. What Happens Next?

• The President will refer the Bill to the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
• After receiving its views:
  • The President may recommend introduction of the Bill in Parliament.
• Upon Parliamentary approval:
  • The First Schedule of the Constitution will be amended.
  • The official name will change from “Kerala” to “Keralam”.

STATIC PART

Broader Significance for UPSC

• Federal structure and Centre–State relations.
• Linguistic identity and state reorganisation.
• Constitutional amendment vs. ordinary legislation distinction.
• Role of political consensus in constitutional changes.