New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Amid continuous disruption and sloganeering from opposition parties over police action against protesting students and the Ram Mandir theft issue, the Lok Sabha passed two significant pieces of legislation within a span of 14 minutes today. Following a morning washout, the Lower House reconvened at 2:00 PM, where the government piloted and successfully passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, alongside the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, before the House was adjourned for the day at 2:25 PM.
The passage of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, fulfills a long-standing demand from the state, following a unanimous resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly urging the Centre to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution. Governed under Article 3 of the Constitution, the legislation officially aligns the constitutional name of the state with its native Malayalam nomenclature, changing “Kerala” to “Keralam”.
The House also cleared the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which significantly expands the operational scope and financial reach of the statutory body. Under existing frameworks, the NCDC could only directly fund registered co-operative societies, requiring financial assistance for broader co-operative infrastructure to route through complex co-operative and state government channels. The new legislation bypasses this structural gap, enabling the NCDC to extend direct loans, grants, and financing to various entities and organisations engaged in co-operative development and industrial goods. The move aims to accelerate capital flow into the sector, supporting the mandate of the Ministry of Cooperation, which was established in 2021.
Parliamentary proceedings remained severely disrupted throughout the afternoon as opposition members from the INDIA bloc demanded statements and accountability regarding student protests and regional governance concerns. After spending the initial part of the reconvened session laying official papers on the table, the government utilised the remaining 14 minutes to pass both draft laws via voice vote amidst sustained opposition protests.
