# Kerala becomes Keralam but High Court likely to keep old name 2026-08-08T16:24:02+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Union Cabinet has accepted renaming Kerala to 'Keralam', as it is called in Malayalam, after decades of demand. The President referred the draft Bill to the state legislature under Article 3, and the Kerala Assembly unanimously approved it in July 2026. The Bill now awaits parliamentary approval and presidential assent. However, even if passed, the Kerala High Court is unlikely to be renamed, as High Court names fall under the Union List (Entry 78 of the Seventh Schedule), controlled by Parliament, not states. This anomaly persists with Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, and Orissa High Courts retaining old names after their states were renamed. ## Coverage - livelaw.in Tags: Constitution, High court, Kerala, Keralam, name change, Union List Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/kerala-becomes-keralam-but-high-court-likely-to-keep-old-name/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/kerala-becomes-keralam-but-high-court-likely-to-keep-old-name/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.