New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to introduce two important bills in the Lok Sabha on Monday, including legislation proposing to change the official name of Kerala to Keralam and another aimed at expanding the financial powers of the National Co-operative Development Corporation.
The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 seeks to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution, which lists the names of states and Union Territories. The proposed change follows a resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly and has already received approval from the Union Cabinet.
If Parliament approves the legislation, the state currently known officially as Kerala will be referred to as Keralam in the Constitution.
The second legislation, the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposes a major expansion of the NCDC’s ability to provide financial assistance for cooperative development.
Under the existing system, NCDC funding is largely channelled through cooperative societies. The proposed amendments would allow the corporation to provide loans and grants directly to a wider range of organisations involved in cooperative development, including entities that are not registered as cooperative societies.
The changes are aimed at addressing the growing involvement of government agencies, statutory bodies and specialised organisations in areas such as cooperative infrastructure, technology, processing, marketing and financial services.
The proposed law would also permit NCDC to invest in the share capital of eligible entities with prior approval from the Centre. It would further allow the corporation to collect and share credit information with banks and financial institutions.
Other provisions seek to broaden the definition of foodstuffs, remove geographical restrictions on financing industrial goods and update outdated statutory provisions. The legislation also contains requirements relating to fund utilisation, audits and reporting.
The bills are being introduced amid continued political tensions in Parliament, with Opposition parties seeking a statement from Amit Shah over the alleged use of force against students during the July 20 protest march.
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