VIDEO EXPLAINER | 9 NOVEMBER 2026
As per the video, Kerala is now officially Keralam. The change came into force on 25 August 2026, after both Houses of Parliament had passed the Bill by 12 August. The answer to how a State’s name can change lies in Article 3 of the Constitution, which gives Parliament the power to alter the name of any State. The case is a clean example of the Article 3 procedure: a State resolution, Union Cabinet approval, a Presidential reference to the State Legislature, a Presidential recommendation, and then an ordinary law passed by simple majority.
What happened
The process was started by the Kerala Assembly, which passed a resolution unanimously on 24 June 2024.
On 24 February 2026 the Union Cabinet, under the chairmanship of PM Narendra Modi, approved the proposal.
Article 3 involves two separate Presidential steps. The first is a reference. President Droupadi Murmu sent the draft Bill to the Kerala Legislature on 17 June for its views.
On 1 July the Kerala Assembly approved all clauses of the Bill unanimously.
The second step is the recommendation. Such a Bill cannot be introduced in Parliament without the President’s recommendation.
The Bill was introduced on 10 August in the name of Home Minister Amit Shah. The Lok Sabha passed it on 11 August, and the Rajya Sabha passed it the next day by voice vote.
Section 1, clause 2 of the Act says it applies only when the Centre fixes a date by notification. That appointed day was 25 August 2026.
From the appointed day, in pending court cases the State of Keralam is automatically treated as substituted for the earlier name.
Background and the rules behind it
Article 3 lets Parliament, by law, form new States and alter the areas, boundaries or names of existing States. Clause (e) deals specifically with changing the name of a State.
The proviso to Article 3 has two safeguards. The Bill can be introduced only on the President’s recommendation, and where it affects a State, the President must refer it to that State’s Legislature to express its views.
The video stresses a big point: the State Legislature’s views are not binding on Parliament. The Supreme Court made this clear in the Babulal Parate case. The reference is therefore consultative, not a veto.
Article 4, clause 2 says that a law of this kind is not treated as a constitutional amendment under Article 368. That is why a simple majority is enough and no special majority is needed.
Earlier name changes followed the same route. The video lists Madras to Tamil Nadu, Mysore to Karnataka, Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand and Orissa to Odisha.
Kerala itself was formed on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act. As per the video, Keralam’s capital is Thiruvananthapuram and the State has 14 districts.
Key terms
- Presidential reference: The step in which the President sends the draft Bill to the State Legislature to seek its views. In this case it happened on 17 June.
- Presidential recommendation: The separate step without which the Bill cannot be introduced in Parliament.
- Appointed day: The date fixed by the Centre through a notification from which the Act applies. Here it is 25 August 2026.
- Binding: Something that must be followed. The video says the State Legislature’s views do not bind Parliament.
- Simple majority: Ordinary majority of members present and voting. Article 4(2) places this law outside the Article 368 route.
Constitutional / Legal / Institutional framework
- Article 3: Parliament may by law alter the name of any State. Clause (e) covers the name.
- Proviso to Article 3: President’s recommendation for introducing the Bill, and a reference to the State Legislature for its views.
- Article 4(2): such a law is not an amendment under Article 368, so a simple majority is enough.
- Babulal Parate case: the State Legislature’s views are not binding on Parliament.
- Section 1(2) of the Act: it operates only from the date the Centre fixes by notification.
CLAT angle
- Procedure question: who recommends the Bill (the President) and whose views must be sought (the State Legislature), and whether those views bind Parliament (no).
- Assertion-reason: a name change needs a special majority under Article 368. This is false, because Article 4(2) takes it out of Article 368.
- Reference versus recommendation: the reference seeks the State’s views; the recommendation allows introduction in Parliament.
- Bill, Act and in force are three different stages. In force happened on the appointed day, 25 August 2026.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1956-11-01 | Kerala formed under the States Reorganisation Act |
| 2024-06-24 | Kerala Assembly passes resolution unanimously |
| 2026-02-24 | Union Cabinet approves the proposal |
| 2026-06-17 | President sends the draft Bill to the Kerala Legislature for views |
| 2026-07-01 | Kerala Assembly approves all clauses unanimously |
| 2026-08-10 | Bill introduced in the name of Home Minister Amit Shah |
| 2026-08-11 / 12 | Lok Sabha passes the Bill; Rajya Sabha passes it next day by voice vote |
| 2026-08-25 | Appointed day; Keralam official |
Mnemonic / memory hook
Remember: reference, recommendation, Parliament.
The President makes two separate moves: first a reference to the State Legislature (17 June), then the recommendation that lets the Bill be introduced. Views of the State are heard but do not bind Parliament. Simple majority is enough, and the Act applies from the appointed day, 25 August 2026.
Why this matters for exams
This topic tests procedure more than the new name. Examiners like to ask which authority does what, and in which order. Keep the sequence in mind: State resolution, Cabinet approval, reference to the State Legislature, recommendation, introduction, passage in both Houses, notification of the appointed day.
Another favourite is the legal character of the law. An Article 3 law changes the name, yet it is not a constitutional amendment under Article 368, because Article 4(2) says so. That is why it passes by simple majority.
Finally, remember that the Kerala Assembly’s unanimous approval on 1 July did not decide the matter by itself. Even if a State Legislature disagreed, the views would not bind Parliament, as the Babulal Parate case explains.
Source
This article summarises the video explainer. Status is as of 2 Nov 2026.
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