How a State is renamed: Article 3 and the move from Kerala to Keralam

Background

The procedure behind the State's own change of name sets out how a State is renamed under the Constitution.
The Union Cabinet approved changing the name of Kerala to Keralam, on a proposal considered in the Ministry of Home Affairs and concurred in by the Department of Legal Affairs and the Legislative Department of the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Parliament can alter the name of a State by law under Article 3 of the Constitution.
The proviso to Article 3 requires the President's recommendation before such a Bill is introduced, and a reference of the Bill to the legislature of the State concerned for its views.
After the Cabinet decision, the President was to refer the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for its views, and the government would then seek the President's recommendation to introduce the Bill in Parliament.
The Kerala Legislative Assembly had passed a resolution asking the Centre to make the change, and the State government later asked for an amendment of the First Schedule of the Constitution.