# Parliament clears bill to rename Kerala as Keralam 2026-08-12T16:12:55+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Rajya Sabha passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, by voice vote on Wednesday, a day after Lok Sabha cleared it. The bill renames Kerala as Keralam, reflecting the Malayalam name for the state. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the Kerala Assembly had passed a resolution in June 2024 urging the change. The bill amends the First Schedule of the Constitution under Article 3. During the debate, a BJP member demanded a similar change for West Bengal to Paschim Banga, and Rai said the Centre could consider it if it meets heritage and public sentiment. ## Coverage - thefederal.com - ndtv.com Tags: Constitution, Kerala, Keralam, name change, Parliament, union budget Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/parliament-clears-bill-to-rename-kerala-as-keralam/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/parliament-clears-bill-to-rename-kerala-as-keralam/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.