New Delhi: In a landmark decision, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal to officially rename the southern state of Kerala as ‘Keralam’, signaling a major administrative and political development just months ahead of the state Assembly elections. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the demand for adopting the name ‘Keralam’ has existed since the formation of the state on linguistic lines, and the Union Cabinet ’s approval now clears the way for the formal change.
Union Cabinet Approval Follows Assembly Resolutions
The decision was taken during the first Union Cabinet meeting held at the new Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) complex, ‘Seva Teerth’. The Kerala Legislative Assembly had passed a unanimous resolution on June 24, 2024, requesting the central government to officially rename the state.
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This marks the second such resolution. A previous proposal in August 2023 had been returned after the Union Home Ministry suggested technical modifications. Following these revisions, the Assembly reiterated its demand, paving the way for the Union Cabinet ’s nod.
Reflecting Cultural Identity
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan emphasized that the name ‘Keralam’ better reflects the Malayalam pronunciation and the state’s cultural heritage. He requested that the change be reflected across all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, replacing the current official name, ‘Kerala’.
The move has cultural and political significance, with Assembly elections scheduled later this year. Earlier, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, advocating the renaming to honor the state’s linguistic and cultural identity.
With the Union Cabinet ’s approval now secured, the formal process to implement the name change is expected to commence shortly, making ‘Keralam’ the official name of the state across all government records and notifications.