«Lok Sabha approves Kerala‑to‑Keralam renaming bill and NCDC amendment bill»

Addressing the bill, State Minister for Home Nityanand Rai highlighted that the Kerala Legislative Assembly had formally requested the central government in 2024 to change the state’s name from Kerala to Keralam. He explained that the rationale behind the request stems from the fact that while the state’s name in Malayalam is Keralam, the Constitution currently lists it as Kerala. Rai noted that the Union Cabinet gave its approval to the proposal earlier this year, in February, and endorsed the introduction of the required legislative amendments. He also criticized Congress MPs from Kerala for their lack of support for the bill and called on the party to state clearly whether it objects to renaming the state from Kerala to Keralam.

In addition, the Lok Sabha passed the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The bill was introduced by State Minister for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol and seeks to make further amendments to the National Co-operative Development Corporation Act, 1962. Under the proposed changes, the Corporation will be authorized to carry out activities related to industrial goods. The legislation also empowers state governments to allocate funding from the Corporation to any organization involved in cooperative development. Furthermore, the Corporation will have the authority to directly offer loans and grants to cooperative societies or entities working in the field of cooperative development.

Commenting on the bill, Mr Mohol emphasized that the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) was created to deliver financial support for the systematic and long-term growth of the country’s cooperative sector. He pointed out that, at the outset, NCDC’s operations were mainly focused on production, processing, and associated services delivered via cooperative societies. Over time, however, its responsibilities have grown to encompass the planning and execution of initiatives linked to processing, marketing, storage, and trade (including exports and imports). The Minister added that in recent years, NCDC has been actively contributing to cooperative development in fields such as infrastructure, technology, and financial services, collaborating with state agencies and other organizations.

Mr Mohol stressed that, given the evolving needs and the growing scope of the cooperative sector, expanding the range of NCDC’s functions is now essential. He mentioned that from NCDC’s founding in 1963 up to 2014, the previous administration had allocated approximately 45 000 crore rupees in financial aid. In contrast, he highlighted that over the past 11 years—since 2014—the amount of financial assistance provided has risen to roughly four lakh crore rupees.

Both bills were approved without any debate, despite noisy protests from the opposition. Following the conclusion of the day’s proceedings, the Lok Sabha was adjourned and is scheduled to reconvene tomorrow at 11:00 AM.