The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to rename Kerala as Keralam, advancing a long-standing demand rooted in linguistic identity. The move follows resolutions passed by the state assembly in 2023 and 2024, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking a constitutional amendment to formalise the Malayalam name.
The resolutions highlighted that while residents commonly use “Keralam” in the local language, the First Schedule of the Constitution continues to list the state as Kerala. The proposal draws from the region’s linguistic reorganisation in 1956, commemorated annually as formation day.
Following cabinet clearance, the change will require constitutional procedures before formal adoption across official records.
The renaming reflects a broader national trend of aligning place names with regional languages and cultural identity, a shift that also shapes destination branding and tourism narratives tied to heritage and local authenticity.
