Kerala Assembly unanimously requested the Union Government to take immediate steps under Article 3 of the Constitution to change the name of the state to Keralam.
- Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, called for invoking Article 3 of the Indian Constitution to effectuate this change in the First Schedule.
Why Keralam?
- Kerala is the English word for the Malyali Keralam.
Resolution was modified and reintroduced
- A similar resolution was passed last year.
- Due to some technical issues: Resolution sought amendments to the First Schedule of the Constitution (list of various states) and It also meant to seek an amendment to the Eighth Schedule (list of official languages). But amendment to the Eighth Schedule was not addressed
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- Historical Context: The earliest mention of the word can be found in Emperor Ashoka’s Rock Edict II, dated to 257 BCE.
- The edict reads: “Everywhere in the dominions of King Priyadarsin, Beloved of the gods, as well as those of his frontier sovereigns, such as the Chodas [Cholas], Pandyas, Satiyaputra, Ketalaputra [Keralaputra]…”
- Keralaputra, literally “son of Kerala” in Sanskrit, refers to the dynasty of the Cheras, one of the three main kingdoms of southern India.
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Historical Context
- Demand for a Unified State: Aikya Kerala Movement in the 1920s, the Aikya Kerala movement gained momentum, advocating for a unified state for Malayalam-speaking people.
- It aimed to integrate Malabar, Kochi, and Travancore into a single territory.
- Formation of Modern Kerala: In 1949, Travancore and Kochi merged, forming the Travancore-Cochin State.
- State Reorganisation Commission: It recommended the creation of Kerala as a state for Malayalam-speaking people.
- Birth of Kerala: On November 1, 1956, the state of Kerala was officially formed, referred to as “Keralam” in Malayalam and “Kerala” in English.
No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from several agencies
- NOCs from Ministry of Railways, Intelligence Bureau, Department of Posts, Survey of India and Registrar General of India etc. are required.
- Once the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) receives the NOC from these institutions, it gives its consent to the resolution passed by the state.
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Procedure for Renaming a State
- Process of renaming a state: It can be initiated by either the Parliament or the state assembly.
- State Government’s Proposal: The proposal to rename a state originates from the state government. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs reviews the proposal and seeks No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from various agencies.
- Centre’s Approval: Unlike renaming cities, renaming a state requires approval from the Centre’s Ministry of Home Affairs.
- A Constitutional amendment is necessary for this change (under Article 3 and 4 of the Constitution).
Article 3 of the constitution
Formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States:
- Parliament may by law, Form a new State by separation of territory from any State or by uniting two or more States or parts of States or by uniting any territory to a part of any State
- Increase the area of any State
- Diminish the area of any State
- Alter the boundaries of any State
- Alter the name of any State
Article 4 of the constitution
- Laws made under articles 2 and 3 to provide for the amendment of the First and the Fourth Schedules and supplemental, incidental and consequential matters provides that law made under Article 2 and 3 shall not be deemed to be an amendment of this Constitution for the purposes of article 368.
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- Views or suggestions of the State Legislature: These are not binding to the President or The Parliament.
- After receiving the suggestions of the State Legislative Assembly or after the expiration of the limited time period the bill goes back to Parliament.
- Then the bill gets further deliberated upon in Parliament.
- Majority: The bill, like any ordinary bill, must be passed with a simple majority.
- Parliamentary Approval: If accepted, the proposal is introduced as a Bill in the Parliament.
- In Parliament, the bill cannot be presented without a recommendation from the President.
- Upon becoming law, the state’s name was officially changed.
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June 25, 2024