The Union Cabinet has approved the Kerala government’s proposal to rename the state as Keralam. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill will now be sent to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for approval.
The move follows a unanimous resolution passed by the Assembly on June 24, 2024, urging the Centre to amend the First Schedule under Article 3 of the Constitution.
A similar resolution passed in August 2023 was revised after technical suggestions from the Centre. Reacting to the decision, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor used wordplay to question what residents would now be called, and what happens to terms like “Keralite” and “Keralan.”