After Cabinet approval, the formal amendment process begins. The Central government will introduce the required change under Article 3. Parliament must pass the amendment. Finally, the President’s assent will make the change official. Once notified, all administrative, legal and cultural references will use “Keralam”.
Public discussion over residents’ name
The proposal has also sparked debate about what residents would be called in English. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor noted that words like ‘Keralite’ and ‘Keralan’ are widely used and asked what terms would apply if the state becomes ‘Keralam’.
All to the good, no doubt, but a small linguistic question for the Anglophones among us: what happens now to the terms “Keralite” and “Keralan” for the denizens of the new “Keralam”? “Keralamite” sounds like a microbe and “Keralamian” like a rare earth mineral…! @CMOKerala might…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 24, 2026
He suggested a public discussion or competition to decide suitable terminology.