Kerala Name Change Bill 2026 Clears Lok Sabha

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The Lok Sabha passed the Kerala Name Change Bill 2026, proposing to change Kerala’s constitutional name to Keralam.
The proposal follows a resolution adopted by the Kerala Legislative Assembly in June 2024.
The House also approved changes to NCDC’s powers, expanding its role in industrial goods and cooperative development financing.

NEW DELHI: The Kerala Name Change Bill 2026 has cleared the Lok Sabha, moving forward a proposal to officially change the state’s name from Kerala to Keralam in the First Schedule of the Constitution. The move follows a request from the Kerala Legislative Assembly, which adopted a resolution on the issue in June 2024.

The proposal reflects the difference between the name commonly used in Malayalam, Keralam, and the name currently recorded in the Constitution, Kerala. The Union Cabinet approved the proposal in February 2026 before the legislation was introduced in Parliament.

The bill was passed amid opposition protests and without a detailed discussion in the House. The Lok Sabha later adjourned for the day and is scheduled to meet again at 11 AM tomorrow.

Kerala Name Change Bill 2026 and the Constitutional Process

Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the Kerala Assembly had formally sought the change in 2024. According to the government, the proposed amendment is intended to bring the constitutional name in line with the state’s Malayalam name, Keralam.

Rai also questioned the position of Congress MPs from Kerala over the legislation and called for clarity on whether the party has any objection to the proposed name change.

If enacted through the required parliamentary process, the amendment would alter the name appearing in the Constitution’s First Schedule. That makes the proposal more than a symbolic administrative change, as the constitutional reference would also need to reflect the new name.

NCDC Amendment Bill Expands Cooperative Financing

Alongside the Kerala legislation, the Lok Sabha passed the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The measure seeks to broaden the scope of the National Co-operative Development Corporation, or NCDC, as the cooperative economy expands into newer areas.

The amendment allows NCDC to undertake activities connected with industrial goods. It also enables state governments to extend NCDC funding to entities involved in cooperative development, while allowing the corporation to provide loans and grants directly to cooperative societies and other eligible entities.

NCDC’s Expanded Role in Cooperative Development

Cooperation Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol said NCDC was originally established to provide financial assistance for the organised and sustained growth of India’s cooperative sector.

Its responsibilities have since moved beyond production and processing to areas including marketing, storage, exports, imports, infrastructure, technology and financial services. The proposed changes are aimed at matching NCDC’s legal powers with this wider role.