Renaming Kerala to Keralam

Renaming Kerala to Keralam

News: Recently, The Kerala Assembly has passed a resolution to rename the state as “Keralam” in both the Constitution and official records.

Background:
• The resolution highlights that the Malayalam name of the state is “Keralam,” and states were formed based on language on November 1, 1956. The resolution seeks alignment between the Malayalam name and its representation in official documents.

What is the linguistic connection?
• ‘Keralam’ from ‘Cheram’ - Scholars speculate that ‘Keralam’ could have derived from ‘Cheram.’ Dr. Herman Gundert, a German scholar, proposed that ‘keram’ is the Canarese (Kannada) form of ‘cheram,’ suggesting that ‘Keralam’ could mean the region between Gokarnam and Kanyakumari, stemming from the root ‘cher’ meaning to join.
• Keralam vs. Kerala Pronunciation - ‘Keralam’ is considered to be a closer phonetic representation of the original Malayalam pronunciation. While the English version ‘Kerala’ was adopted for ease of pronunciation and writing, ‘Keralam’ maintains linguistic authenticity in Malayalam.

What is the procedure to rename a state in India?
• State Government’s Proposal - The proposal to rename a state originates from the state government. The Union MHA reviews the proposal and seeks No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from various agencies such as Ministry of Railways, IB, Department of Posts.
• Constitutional Amendment - If the MHA finds the proposal acceptable and all the necessary NOCs are obtained, a Constitutional amendment is initiated.
• Bill in Parliament - The Bill goes through the usual legislative process in both the Lok Sabha (Lower House) and the Rajya Sabha (Upper House). The Bill requires a simple majority to be passed.
• President’s Assent - Once the President gives his assent, the Bill becomes law.
• Implementation - With the President’s assent, the name change becomes official and is implemented.