Centre Set to Approve Kerala's Renaming to Keralam in Key Cabinet Session
NEW DELHI: The Centre is likely to approve the proposal to change the name of Kerala to Keralam in a cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday. Union ministers have been instructed to arrive early, as a photo session may precede the cabinet proceedings. This meeting holds particular significance as it will be the first cabinet gathering at Seva Teerth, the newly established PMO and Cabinet Secretariat complex.
Background and State Assembly Resolution
This development follows a resolution passed by the Kerala state assembly, which urged the Centre to enact a Constitutional amendment to alter the state's name from 'Kerala' to 'Keralam.' Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan moved the resolution, advocating for measures under Article 3 of the Constitution to rename the state in the First Schedule. He highlighted that 'Keralam' is the term used in Malayalam and underscored that the demand for a unified Kerala for Malayalam-speaking communities has been a prominent issue since the national freedom struggle.
Vijayan stated, "The name of our state is written as Kerala in the First Schedule of the Constitution. This assembly requests the Centre to take immediate steps to amend it as 'Keralam' under Article 3 of the Constitution and have it renamed as 'Keralam' in all the languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution."
Unanimous Passage and Clarifications
A resolution seeking the official name change was unanimously passed in August 2023. It called on the Centre to modify the state's name to 'Keralam' in the First Schedule of the Constitution and similarly in all languages under the Eighth Schedule. However, upon detailed verification, it was determined that such an amendment is required only in the First Schedule, streamlining the process for the proposed change.
