New Delhi, Delhi. Kerala will now officially be known as ‘Keralam’. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a Gazette notification on Tuesday regarding the change of the state’s name. With the notification coming into effect, the provisions of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act, 2026 have been implemented, and the state will now officially be referred to as the State of Keralam.
The Ministry of Home Affairs stated in its notification that, under the powers granted by Section 1(2) of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act, 2026, the Central Government had appointed August 25, 2026, as the date from which the provisions of the Act would come into force.
Earlier this month, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Bill seeking to rename Kerala as Keralam. Following the President’s approval, the Bill became law, and with the issuance of the Central Government’s notification, the renaming process has now been formally completed.
Both Houses of Parliament had also approved the Bill. The Lok Sabha passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill on August 11, while the Rajya Sabha approved it on August 12.
The demand to change the name of Kerala has been raised in the state for a long time. In 2024, the state government introduced a proposal in the Assembly regarding the name change. After the Assembly approved the proposal, it was sent to the Central Government in June 2024.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai had informed the Rajya Sabha that the proposed legislation provided for the State of Kerala to be known as the State of Keralam. The President had also referred the Bill to the State Assembly for its views, following which the Assembly unanimously supported the proposal.
Following the Central Government’s notification, action will now be taken to use the state’s new name in government records, administrative documents, and other official procedures. Kerala will now officially be known as Keralam.
