Harmonizing Kerala’s Name: The Keralam Transition

Kerala’s Name Change Process:

• The Parliament holds the authority to change a state’s name under Article 3 of the Indian Constitution.
• Renaming can be initiated by the Parliament or the state assembly through a resolution, requiring approval from the President and Parliament.

Why in News:

• The Kerala Assembly has officially decided to change the state’s name to “Keralam” from “Kerala” in official documents and the Constitution. 
  • Historical and linguistic origins are cited as reasons for the change.  
  • It has been argued that the new name will make it consistent with the Malayalam name used for centuries.