3 min readNew DelhiAug 12, 2026 10:31 PM IST
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a Bill to change the name of Kerala to Keralam, just over two years after the state Assembly passed a unanimous resolution, asking the Centre for the name change.
The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, which changes the name of the state to Keralam and makes the necessary amendments to the Constitution, including in the First Schedule, was passed by a voice vote. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on Tuesday.
On Wednesday evening, MoS Home Nityanand Rai introduced the Bill on behalf of Home Minister Amit Shah, who was not present in the House.
During the discussion on the Bill, all MPs supported the decision to rename the state, while some sought to change the names of some other states, cities and railway stations.
Initiating the discussion, Congress MP Jebi Mather Hisham welcomed the Bill. When she sought to raise an issue regarding the Home Minister, Leader of the House J P Nadda objected, asking the chair not to take on record the “political statement”.
TMC MP Derek O’Brien pointed out that West Bengal’s proposal to change the name of the state to Bangla had been pending for eight years. DMK MP Tiruchi Siva welcomed the Bill, recalling how the name of Madras was changed to Tamil Nadu. “We know the value of a name,” he said, while congratulating the people of the state.
AIADMK MP M Thambidurai called for the strengthening of cooperative federalism and respect for regional languages. Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh, too, highlighted the need for respecting the various languages, attire and states in the country. Alleging that the Centre had not provided adequate funds to the state when it was hit by natural disasters, Singh said: “Don’t just change the name, change your behaviour.”
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IUML MP Haris Beeran highlighted the state’s “secular credentials”, saying that while the state was not a “double engine” government, it was a “vital part of the secular engine”.
Upendra Kushwaha of the RLM demanded that the name of Bihar’s capital Patna be changed to Pataliputra, while BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya called for changing the name of West Bengal to Pashchim Bongo. He also sought to change the name of Bakhtiarpur junction near Nalanda, Bihar.
Replying to the discussion, the MoS said: “It is a matter of pride not just for the residents of Kerala, but for all Indians.” He said the state Assembly had sought to change the name to Keralam, which is the Malayalam name of the state.
On the demands for change of Patna and West Bengal, he said the government would consider any such proposals, but it should be sent as per the process established.
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The House then passed the Bill by voice vote. The MoS then moved a motion to refer the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a joint committee of Parliament, which the Rajya Sabha also adopted through voice vote.