Rajya Sabha passes bill to rename Kerala as ‘Keralam’

On Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 by a voice vote, concluding the parliamentary procedure for renaming the southern state as 'Keralam'. Earlier on Tuesday, the Lok Sabha approved the bill without debate. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, representing Union Home Minister Amit Shah, introduced the legislation.

Speaking on behalf of the bill, Rai emphasized that the name 'Keralam' embodies the culture, civilization, and emotions of Kerala, and adopting it as the state's name reflects pride, honor, and self-respect.

This legislation aims to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution to alter the name of the southern state to 'Keralam'. The proposal was initiated following a resolution passed by the Kerala assembly in 2024, which highlighted a longstanding demand for a unified Kerala among Malayalam-speaking individuals since the nation's independence struggle. The Kerala legislature unanimously appealed to the Central government under Article 3 of the Constitution to expedite the name change process.

Opposition MPs had requested that Shah pilot the bill in the House since his name appeared on the list of business, but the government declined the request. Senior Minister JP Nadda clarified that Rai was piloting the bill, adhering to the principles of parliamentary democracy. The opposition demanded that Amit Shah deliver a statement regarding the July 20 police action against student protesters at Jantar Mantar.

Chair Sasmit Patra urged MPs to adhere to the rules, focusing on the bill's general principles and refraining from irrelevant points or repetitive arguments.