Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Centre Notifies Keralam as Kerala’s Official State Name
Kerala will officially be called Keralam from August 25, 2026.
The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the change in a government gazette.
Parliament passed a law to make the name change.
President Droupadi Murmu approved the law earlier in August.
The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on August 11.
The Rajya Sabha passed it the next day.
Kerala’s Assembly had first asked for the change in 2024.
The law also makes related changes to the Constitution and other legal rules.
The Union Home Ministry notified Keralam as the new name of Kerala.
The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act, 2026, takes effect on August 25, 2026.
President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the renaming Bill earlier in August.
The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on August 11, followed by the Rajya Sabha on August 12.
The Kerala Assembly first requested the change through a resolution passed in 2024 and later unanimously backed the Bill.
- Who
- The Ministry of Home Affairs, Parliament, President Droupadi Murmu, the Kerala Assembly, and the Kerala government are involved.
- What
- Kerala is being officially renamed Keralam under the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act, 2026.
- When
- The Act comes into force on August 25, 2026; the gazette notification was issued on Tuesday.
- Where
- The change applies to the southern Indian state of Kerala.
- Why
- The Kerala Assembly requested the name change through a 2024 resolution, and later unanimously agreed with the Bill after it was referred to the state legislature.
- New name
- Keralam
- Previous name
- Kerala
- Effective date
- August 25, 2026
- Legislation
- Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act, 2026
- Lok Sabha approval
- August 11, 2026
- Rajya Sabha approval
- August 12, 2026
- Initial state request
- The Kerala Assembly passed a resolution urging the name change in 2024, which the state government forwarded to the Centre in June 2024.
