Kerala to Keralam: Union Cabinet clears name change; 5 other places that were renamed

The Union Cabinet today approved a proposal to change the name of the State of Kerala to ‘Keralam,’ initiating the constitutional process required for the alteration, ddnews reported.
As per the reports, the decision was taken at a meeting that was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The President of India will refer the proposed legislation, the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its views, as mandated under Article 3 of the Constitution, following the Cabinet’s approval.
However, it cannot be presented in Parliament without the approval of the President, as stated in Article 3 of the Constitution. The President must first seek the opinions of the relevant State Legislature within a specified period of time before the Bill can proceed if it involves amendments to the name, boundaries, or territory of a State.
The proposal stems from a resolution unanimously adopted by the Kerala Legislative Assembly on June 24, 2024, urging that the State be officially renamed “Keralam.” The Assembly noted that ‘Keralam’ is the name used in Malayalam and emphasised that States were reorganised on linguistic lines on November 1, 1956, a date commemorated annually as Kerala Piravi.
The proposal was examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs and cleared after consultations with the Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department under the Ministry of Law and Justice. The matter was processed with the approval of Union Home Minister Amit Shah before being placed before the Cabinet.
If Parliament passes the Bill, the First Schedule of the Constitution will be amended to replace “Kerala” with “Keralam.”
Here are five other prominent renamings in recent years:

In September 2022, the Government of India renamed Rajpath in New Delhi as Kartavya Path ahead of the inauguration of the revamped Central Vista Avenue.
The New Delhi Municipal Council approved the proposal. The new name, meaning ‘Path of Duty,’ was said to reflect a shift away from colonial-era symbolism.

In October 2018, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a decision to rename Allahabad to Prayagraj.
Located in the Uttar Pradesh, this place is known for historical and religious importance, especially regarding the Kumbh Mela event. The city was originally named Ilahabad by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century, which was later changed to Allahabad. The change of name was to add the original name ‘Prayag,’ which symbolizes its status as a sacred confluence.

In 2016, the Haryana government changed the name of Gurgaon to Gurugram.
The city of Gurugram is located in Haryana, and its new name was coined to reflect its historical connection with Guru Dronacharya of the epic Mahabharata. The government stated that the change was intended to restore the city’s mythological and historical identity.

In 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs approved the renaming of Aurangabad in Maharashtra to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
The city, earlier known as Aurangabad, traces its naming history back to 1610 when it was called Khadki by Malik Ambar. It was later renamed Fatehnagar and subsequently Aurangabad after Mughal emperor Aurangzeb annexed the region in 1653.
The renaming decision was cleared during the tenure of the Eknath Shinde government, although an earlier proposal had been approved by the previous state government.

In another renaming, the iconic Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan were renamed Amrit Udyan.
The move was announced as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations marking 75 years of India’s Independence. Officials said the change aligned with efforts to reflect Indian identity and heritage in public spaces.