Kerala To Be Renamed ‘Keralam’: Meaning, History And Linguistic Origins | India News
Last Updated:February 24, 2026, 20:47 IST The core of the demand lies in language. In Malayalam, the state has always been called “Keralam”. Historians trace the origins of the name to the ancient Chera dynasty, which ruled much of present-day Kerala. (File photo) The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Kerala government’s proposal to rename the state as “Keralam”, backing a long-standing demand to align its official name with its original form in Malayalam. The decision follows resolutions passed twice by the Kerala Legislative Assembly — in August 2023 and June 2024 — urging the Centre to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution and adopt “Keralam” in all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule. The resolutions were moved by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and received unanimous support from both the ruling LDF and the Congress-led UDF opposition. The state government has maintained that the move is not symbolic, but a correction of how the name appears in official records. ALSO READ: Keralam Loading: How Constitution Governs Kerala’s Renaming | Explained A Linguistic Argument …









