Constitution & Law

Rajya Sabha passes bill amending First Schedule to rename Kerala as 'Keralam'

13 August 2026UPSCSSCRailway

In Brief

Passed constitutional bill amending First Schedule to officially change state name to Keralam.

The Rajya Sabha has approved a landmark bill seeking to alter the name of the state of Kerala to 'Keralam' in the First Schedule of the Constitution of India. The legislation follows a unanimous resolution passed previously by the Kerala State Legislative Assembly urging the Central Government to update the official name across all constitutional schedules.

Under Article 3 of the Indian Constitution, Parliament possesses the exclusive power to form new states, alter state boundaries, or change the name of any existing state. The procedure requires a bill to be introduced in Parliament after receiving a presidential reference to the concerned state legislature for expressing its views within a specified period.

The name change aligns the state's official English designation with its native Malayalam pronunciation and historical nomenclature referenced in ancient texts and cultural traditions. Upon completion of parliamentary approval, the draft amendment updates the First Schedule, which enumerates the names of states and union territories along with their territorial jurisdictions.

This legislative action highlights constitutional mechanisms governing territorial and administrative renaming in India. For exam aspirants, this serves as a textbook example of Article 3 procedures, constitutional amendments, and federal power-sharing between states and the Union.

UPSC Study NotesHIGHGS2 — Polity & Governance

GS2 — Polity & Governance

📌 Exam Angle

In Prelims, UPSC can test procedural nuances of Article 3, specifically whether Presidential reference requires binding consent from state legislatures. In Mains (GS-2), it provides a classic case study on India's federal structure and the principle of an "indestructible Union of destructible states."

⚠️ Key Concerns

The non-binding nature of state assembly views under Article 3 reflects a unitary bias in Indian federalism. Furthermore, state renaming incurs substantial administrative costs, extensive statutory updating, and procedural overheads across Union and State databases.

💡 Why It Matters

This step reinforces cultural federalism by aligning official constitutional text with native linguistic identity and Malayalam heritage. It showcases how parliamentary procedures accommodate regional aspirations while maintaining constitutional supremacy.

🔑 Must Remember

• Article 3 empowers Parliament to alter state names via a simple majority. • Presidential reference to the state assembly is mandatory, though its opinion is non-binding on Parliament. • Name changes update the First Schedule without triggering constitutional amendments under Article 368.

📝 Key Terms

Article 3First ScheduleArticle 368Cooperative FederalismPresidential ReferenceUnitary BiasIndestructible UnionCultural Federalism

Rajya Sabha passes bill amending First Schedule to rename Kerala as 'Keralam'

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