Parliament passes bill to officially rename Kerala state as 'Keralam'

The Rajya Sabha passed the bill to rename Kerala as 'Keralam'. Meanwhile, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Amendment Bill has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee after the government moved a motion in Parliament.

Rajya Sabha passes bill to rename Kerala as 'Keralam'

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, a significant legislative step toward officially changing the name of the state to 'Keralam'. Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved the Bill in the Upper House seeking to alter the name of the State of Kerala, and also moved a motion for its passage.

Replying to the discussion on the Bill, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said, "The name 'Keralam' is a matter of pride not just for the residents of the state, but for the whole of India." The bill has already been passed in the Lok Sabha. The Bill seeks to formally recognise 'Keralam' as the name of the state in constitutional and administrative records.

FCRA Bill Referred to Joint Committee Amid Opposition

Meanwhile, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Amendment Bill was formally referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Wednesday after the Central Government moved a motion to this effect in Parliament.

Union Minister Nityanand Rai tabled the motion in the Lok Sabha after it resumed proceedings following its adjournment in the morning.

JPC Composition and Mandate

According to the Supplementary List of Business for the Lok Sabha, the proposed Joint Committee will consist of 31 members--21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

"That the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, be referred to a Joint Committee of the Houses consisting of 21 Members of this House to be nominated by the Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, and 10 Members of Rajya Sabha to be nominated by Hon'ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha," the motion moved by the Home Minister stated.

The committee has been tasked with conducting an in-depth examination of the legislative provisions and is required to submit its report to the Parliament by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session 2026.

The motion further specified that the quorum for the sittings of the Joint Committee shall be one-third of the total number of its members.

Opposition Seeks Bill's Withdrawal

Congress MP KC Venugopal sought withdrawal of Bill, his opposition to the bill also found support from SP MP Akhilesh Yadav.

In reply, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the opposition should welcome the Government's decision to refer the bill to a JPC and added that there was nothing in the bill to target minority institutions.

While the government has moved for a committee review, the Congress party has maintained its firm stance against the legislation, seeking a complete withdrawal of the Bill.

The opposition has previously raised concerns that the proposed amendments could be used to target civil society and minority institutions.

About the FCRA Legislation

The FCRA regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations in the country and seeks to ensure that such contributions are used for the purposes for which they are received.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 and is currently under consideration by Parliament. The revised FCRA Rules, 2026, were notified on June 22 and are in force. (ANI)

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