A long-cherished linguistic demand has finally made its way to the halls of New Delhi. The Union Cabinet has, on February 24, 2026, cleared the proposal to change the name of the state of Kerala to “Keralam.” Although the move has received bipartisan support in the state, it is only the start of a rather complicated process of constitutional and administrative change.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who tabled the joint resolution in the State Assembly, said that the name “Kerala” is actually a colonial hangover in the form of an anglicized name that does not in any way represent the real Malayalam essence of the state. The Centre has initiated the “Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026” to bring the First Schedule of the Constitution in line with the local pronunciation.
Tracing the Roots: From Cheralam to Keralam:
The name Keralam has its roots in the rich civilizational history of the region, well before the advent of British rule in the land, and that is over two thousand years ago. The earliest concrete epigraphic evidence is found in the Rock Edict II of Emperor Ashoka (257 BCE), which refers to “Keralaputra” or the “sons of Kerala,” in recognition of the Chera dynasty. Hermann Gundert, a linguist, derives the name from Cheram, the ancient ruling dynasty, with cher denoting to join and alam referring to the land or territory. Another popular theory is that the name came from keram, which refers to coconut, an important crop in this land, and alam (land). However, in this rich history, the 1956 reorganization of states on linguistic lines formally recorded the name as “Kerala” in English, resulting in a permanent incongruity between the name used in the Constitution and the one used in everyday speech.
The Constitutional Pathway: Invoking Article 3:
Renaming a state is not like renaming cities, which can be done through an executive order. Renaming a state requires an official amendment to the Indian Constitution. According to Article 3, Parliament can rename a state through ordinary legislation and not a special or expedited procedure.
The process began at the Kerala Legislative Assembly, where a unanimous resolution was adopted in August 2023. However, the Union Home Ministry rejected that resolution because of some technicalities. They had asked for modifications in all 22 languages of the Eighth Schedule instead of the First Schedule. A fresh resolution was adopted on June 24, 2024, to request the Union to modify the First and Fourth Schedules. With the recent approval from the Cabinet, the Bill will be referred to the Kerala Assembly for its feedback before being tabled in Parliament for final approval with a simple majority.
The Administrative Dilemma: Calculating the Cost of Identity:
This is often seen as a statement of cultural identity, but the implementation aspect is not to be underestimated. For common citizens, the most difficult part is updating their personal identity cards, particularly Aadhaar cards. Currently, when there is any change in name, address, or other details, it has to be done the hard way, in person, at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra, and it costs a flat ₹50. Now, think of a nation of more than 33 million people. A biannual, voluntary Aadhaar card update could, in theory, result in the government collecting almost ₹165 crore just in fees, without even factoring in the time and effort involved.
Then there is the government’s own burden of updating gazettes, government stationery, signs, and maps in the system. If a person wishes to have a legal name change, the process involves a notarized affidavit, which costs between ₹100 and ₹500, and a Gazette notification, which itself costs anything from ₹1,100 to ₹5,000, depending on the category. During the transition phase, documents bearing the name “Kerala” would, no doubt, remain valid for a period of time, but all in all, the effort of updating digital and physical files in every state department would be no small thing.
The Domino Effect: From Kerala to Keralam and Beyond:
The Union Cabinet’s decision to rename Kerala as “Keralam” has reignited debates about language and culture in India. At the forefront of the campaign now is West Bengal’s Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, who, only hours after Kerala’s decision, reiterated her 2018 demand to change her state’s name to “Bangla.” Banerjee’s reasoning for the change is that the present name, “West Bengal,” puts the state at the end of every list, thus creating a subtle but tangible W-Z disadvantage for students and bureaucrats alike. While the Centre had previously expressed reservations about the name’s similarity to Bangladesh, Kerala’s lead has inspired Bengal to demand a uniform name in all languages.
The Vihar Proposal and Historical Precedents:
In North India, there have been murmurs at political rallies about the possibility of a rename for the state of Bihar to “Vihar,” in recognition of the Buddhist monasteries or Viharas that once dotted the area. Supporters point out that “Bihar” is merely a variation of “Vihar,” much as “Orissa” was a colonial-era misinterpretation of “Odisha” in the past. In 2011, Odisha underwent a major linguistic shift, when the First and Fourth Schedules of the Constitution were revised to align the English spelling with the Odia pronunciation. The shift from Orissa to Odisha, and from Oriya to Odia, was expensive in the short term, but it is now hailed as a model for linguistic reclaiming.
The Financial Reality of a National Name-Change Wave:
If states like Bihar or West Bengal follow the “Keralam” model, the cumulative cost of document updates would be staggering. Updating Aadhaar records for Bihar’s 125 million residents at the standard ₹50 fee would alone total approximately ₹625 crore. Furthermore, the central government emphasizes that such changes must not be based on communal considerations but must follow phonetic or historical corrections. Despite the costs, the current political climate favors “decolonizing” the Indian map, suggesting that “Keralam” may be the first of many such constitutional amendments in the coming years.
Finding Common Ground:
The challenge for policymakers is to manage this transition without causing undue financial or bureaucratic strain on the public. Proponents argue that the cost is a necessary investment in decolonizing India’s nomenclature and honoring the “Viksit Bharat” vision of cultural reclamation. Ultimately, the transition to “Keralam” is more than a change of letters; it is an effort to harmonize the state’s constitutional identity with the language of its people.
Key words
Keralam, Article 3, Linguistic Identity, Cost of switch, Constitutional Amendment
REFERENCES:
Indian Eagle. (2026, February 24). Union Cabinet Approves Renaming Kerala to Keralam. https://www.indianeagle.com/traveldiary/kerala-to-keralam/
Sanskriti IAS. (2026). Kerala to Keralam: Constitutional Procedure, Cultural Identity and Federal Dimensions. https://www.sanskritiias.com/current-affairs/kerala-to-keralam-constitutional-procedure-cultural-identity-and-federal-dimensions
The Hindu. (2024, June 24). Kerala Assembly passes resolution to rename State as ‘Keralam’. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kerala-assembly-passes-resolution-to-rename-state-as-keralam/article68327268.ece
India Today. (2026, February 25). Kerala to become Keralam. But why West Bengal failed? https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kerala-keralam-name-change-why-west-bengal-bangla-name-change-stalled-centre-mamata-banerjee-2873723-2026-02-25
ClearTax. (2026, February 4). How To Change Name In Aadhaar Card Online? https://cleartax.in/s/aadhar-card-name-change-online
Jagran Josh. (2026, February 24). What is the Meaning of ‘Keralam’? Check Origin And History. https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/keralam-word-meaning-1820006605-1
Times of India. (2026, February 24). Kerala now Keralam: Why state got renamed & why timing of Centre’s nod matters. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/kerala-now-keralam-why-state-got-renamed-why-timing-of-centres-nod-matters/articleshow/128747539.cms
Author Name- Kumar Astik, 2nd year B.a. ll.b (hons.)
