The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday (August 12, 2026) passed two more Bills — The National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bil l, 2026. The Upper House has so far passed about 10 Bills, other than some of the Money Bills which were returned to the Lok Sabha, during the stormy Monsoon Session.
Political Context
The Minister maintained that the Union government was committed to removing all symbols of slavery, names, signs, flags of institutions, or statues of great personalities that repeatedly wound the hearts of Indians and establish all things, signs, or works that represent the pride of India’s heritage. Mr. Rai also mentioned a controversy in the State over disciplinary action against a teacher who prepared a quiz questionnaire where he described Hindutva ideologue V.D. “Veer Savarkar is the name of dedication and sacrifice. Veer Savarkar is the name of firm determination. If a teacher is dismissed for asking questions about him, there can be nothing worse than that, and it is an insult to our freedom fighters. During the debate, Opposition MPs questioned the absence of Home Minister Amit Shah, who was supposed to pilot both the Bills. “As Kerala becomes Keralam, the Malayalis world over welcome that decision, and I join them in representing as a humble Malayali. I welcome that Bill. At the same time, we ask together, where is the Home Minister?” asked Congress member Jebi Mather. Leader of the House J.P. Nadda questioned this and asked the Chair to expunge her remarks. There were demands to change the name of other States too. BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya demanded that the name of West Bengal be changed to Paschim Banga. Mr. Rai assured that the Union government could certainly consider it. The National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill will broaden the mandate of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to give loans and grants directly to cooperative societies. Krishna Prasad Tenneti, in the Chair at the time, urged Opposition members to let the House run smoothly, but the protests continued and the bill went through by voice vote amid the din.
In the reply to a debate on the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the Bill was a step in continuation of the Kerala Assembly’s resolution in 2024 urging the Union government to change the name of the State to Keralam. Earlier reporting noted: Lok Sabha gives nod to bill to rename Kerala, NCDC Bill The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) BIll, 2026, were passed in the Lok Sabha without debate on Tuesday, amid heavy protest and sloganeering by the Opposition members of the House, who demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a statement from Union home minister Amit Shah over the police excesses on student protesters at new Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20. Therefore, that subject is very painful,” Mr.
“The Bill provides that the State of Kerala will be known as the State of Keralam, and hence there is a proposal to rename the State of Kerala to Keralam,” he said. “The proposal to change the name of the State from Kerala to Keralam is not only a matter of pride for the people of Kerala but also for all Indians,” he said. Savarkar as the freedom fighter “who received the maximum punishment at the hands of the British”. Rai said. Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol said the Bill did not have any provision for additional budgetary financial assistance by the government. “The proposed amendment only expands the mandate and financial scope of the NCDC,” he said, adding that the amendments were not just limited to strengthening the NCDC but would strengthen the entire cooperative ecosystem, make it more modern and independent while also contributing to the country’s progress. Earlier reporting noted: Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said he was disappointed that senior Kerala leaders from the Congress chose not to speak on the bill, that was supposed to change the name of the state from Kerala to Keralam. “It is sad that even senior Congress leaders like KC Venugopal aren’t going to speak on the bill,” Rijiju said.
Earlier reporting noted: later, the Lower House passed the NCDC (Amendment) Bill, moved by minister of state for cooperation Murlidhar Mohol on behalf of Amit Shah, who holds the home and cooperation portfolio, The bill seeks to widen the channels through which the NCDC can fun cooperative societies.
