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The Union Cabinet connected Tuesday (February 24, 2026) approved the renaming of the State of ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam.’ On June 24, 2024, the Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a solution urging the Union authorities to rename the State
Also Read | What happens to presumption Keralite, Keralan: Tharoor connected ‘Keralam’ replacing Kerala
What is the process to alteration the sanction of a State successful India? Let’s instrumentality a look.
Article 3 of the Constitution
According to Article 3 of the Indian Constitution, Parliament may, by law, change the sanction of immoderate State. The nonfiction besides states that nary Bill for the intent shall beryllium introduced successful either House of Parliament but connected the proposal of the President and unless wherever the connection contained successful the measure affects the area, boundaries oregon sanction of immoderate of the States, the Bill has been referred by the president to the legislature of that State for expressing its views thereon wrong specified play arsenic whitethorn beryllium specified successful the notation oregon wrong specified further play arsenic the president whitethorn let and the play truthful specified oregon allowed has expired.
This, successful simpler terms, means that the State Assembly archetypal passes a solution for the alteration of the sanction and sends it to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It is past sent for the proposal of the President to Parliament. Such a Bill tin lone beryllium introduced successful Parliament aft the President recommends it.
The adjacent measurement is to nonstop the Bill to the affected state’s legislature to get their views wrong a acceptable time. A important constituent to enactment is that the State’s sentiment is not binding. Parliament tin determination guardant adjacent if the State disagrees.
The Bill is past introduced successful either the Lok Sabha (Lower House) oregon Rajya Sabha (Upper House) and indispensable beryllium passed by a elemental majority, i.e. much than 50% of the members indispensable beryllium contiguous and voting successful immoderate of the houses.
Once passed by Parliament, the Bill goes backmost to the President for last signature. Once signed, it becomes an Act, and the sanction is officially changed successful the First and Fourth Schedules of the Constitution.
Important changes to States’ names
India has a agelong past of changing the names of States. In 2011, the sanction of Orissa was changed to Odisha done the Orissa (Alteration of Name) Act and the sanction of the State’s connection was changed from Oriya to Odia. In 2007, the sanction of the bluish State of Uttaranchal was changed to Uttarakhand.
Can India go ‘Bharat’ the aforesaid way?
The process of changing the sanction of the country is importantly much analyzable than changing the sanction of a State. As Article 3 deals exclusively with changing the sanction of States, changing India’s sanction would necessitate a ceremonial Constitutional Amendment nether Article 368.
Article 1 of the Constitution, which defines the state arsenic “India that is Bharat, shall beryllium a Union of States…,” would besides request to beryllium amended.
In bid to exclusively usage conscionable 1 sanction for the country, the amendment Bill indispensable beryllium passed by two-thirds of members contiguous and voting successful some houses of the Parliament.
It besides requires the enactment of much than 50% of the full spot of each House.
The Supreme Court of India has doubly (in 2016 and 2020) rejected pleas to rename India to Bharat, stating that some names are already authoritative and the Constitution refers to some ‘Bharat’ and ‘India,’ signalling that they whitethorn beryllium utilized interchangeably.
(With inputs from PTI)
