Why In News?
Parliament passes the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill 2026 to rename "Kerala" as "Keralam" in the First Schedule of the Constitution.
Why is Kerala Seeking the Name Change?
Linguistic identity: The state has always been called "Keralam" in Malayalam, but the Constitution records it as "Kerala" — an anglicised version fixed at the time of the States Reorganisation on 1 November 1956.
Historical usage: Demand for a united Malayalam-speaking Kerala existed since the freedom struggle, well before the state's formal linguistic reorganisation.
Symbolic date: Kerala's formation day, "Kerala Piravi," is observed on 1 November — the same day the state came into being in 1956 — reinforcing the demand to align the legal name with lived cultural usage.
Alignment of official and popular usage: The government seeks to make the English/constitutional name match the Malayalam name, without altering the Malayalam name itself, which remains unchanged.
Constitutional Procedure for Renaming a State
Constitutional Authority
Article 3 empowers Parliament to alter the name, area or boundaries of a State by ordinary legislation; a separate constitutional-amendment procedure under Article 368 is not required.
The Bill requires the President’s prior recommendation before introduction in Parliament. If a State’s name or boundaries are affected, the President must refer it to the concerned State Legislature for its views.
Role of State Legislature
The State Legislature’s role is consultative, not veto-based. Parliament is constitutionally empowered to proceed even if the State Legislature disagrees with the proposal.
Kerala example: Kerala Assembly passed a resolution in June 2024 seeking “Kerala” → “Keralam”; the Union Cabinet approved the proposal in February 2026, after which the President referred the Bill to the State Legislature for its views.
Administrative Examination
The proposal is examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs, with inter-ministerial consultation to assess implications for official records, maps, postal systems, transport and other administrative databases.
In the Kerala case, the Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department, Ministry of Law & Justice, concurred with the proposal before Cabinet consideration.
Parliamentary Procedure
State proposal → MHA examination → Union Cabinet → President refers Bill to State Legislature → State’s views → President’s recommendation → Parliament → Presidential assent
The Bill is passed by ordinary parliamentary majority because Article 3 legislation is not an Article 368 constitutional amendment.
After enactment, the First Schedule is amended to reflect the new State name; depending on the legislation, other constitutional provisions may also require consequential amendments.
Previous Name Changes
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Does the State Legislature Have the Final Power?
No — the State Legislature's opinion is not binding on Parliament. The provision to Article 3 only requires that the views be obtained, not that they be followed.
Parliament holds final authority and can pass the Bill irrespective of whether the state agrees, disagrees, or gives no reply within the stipulated time.
This highlights that India's federalism is asymmetric on this specific point — the Centre retains unilateral legislative supremacy over state boundaries/names, distinguishing India from more rigid federations like the USA, where constituent states have stronger structural protections.
In Kerala's case, the process was consensual — the state itself initiated the request — so the non-binding nature of Article 3 did not create friction.
Source: INDIANEXPRESS
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Discuss the constitutional procedure for altering the name of a State in India, with reference to the recent renaming of Kerala as "Keralam." Examine whether the process reflects genuine federal consultation or parliamentary supremacy. (250 words) |
