The Union Home Ministry has announced that Kerala will officially be known as Keralam, following the Central government's gazette notification on August 25, 2026. This change was in accordance with the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Act, 2026, which received President Droupadi Murmu's assent earlier this month and was subsequently passed by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The decision to rename the state was in response to a resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly in 2024, urging the Centre for the name change. The Home Ministry's Minister of State, Nityanand Rai, confirmed that the state would now be known as Keralam. The state government had sent the resolution to the Centre in June 2024, and after receiving views from the state legislature, President Murmu gave her assent to the Bill. This name change will also necessitate consequential amendments to the Constitution. The shift comes just days before the Onam festivities, making this a significant milestone for the southern state of India.