Top news of the day: Union Cabinet approves changing Kerala’s name to Keralam; Rahul Gandhi challenges Modi to scrap U.S. trade deal, and more

Union Cabinet approves changing Kerala’s name to Keralam; Rahul Gandhi challenges Modi to scrap U.S. trade deal, and more in The Hindu’s top news of February 24, 2026.

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) approved the renaming of the State of “Kerala” to “Keralam”, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced. On June 24, 2024, the Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union government to rename the State as “Keralam”. The move came ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections expected to be held in April-May.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should scrap the India-U.S. trade deal, which he described as being against the interests of Indian farmers. Addressing the ‘Kisan Mahachaupal’ farmers’ rally in Bhopal, Mr. Gandhi likened the interim trade deal to an arrow piercing the hearts of Indian farmers.

Four of the most senior underground leaders of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) surrendered before the Telangana police, expressing their intent to join the mainstream in the presence of Telangana Director General of Police B. Shivadhar Reddy on Tuesday (February 24, 2026). Those who renounced armed struggle include politburo member (PBM) and central committee member (CCM) Tippiri Thirupati alias Devuji alias Kumma Dada; CCM Malla Raji Reddy alias Sangram; Telangana State Committee (TSC) secretary Bade Chokka Rao alias Damodar alias Jagan; and State Committee member (SCM) Nune Narsimha Reddy alias Ganganna alias Sannu Dada.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) refused to alter a September 2025 order to use Aadhaar in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, saying the Representation of the People Act continues to endorse the 12-digit unique identity number as an identity proof for citizens. A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said petitioner-advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay should take his apprehensions that fake Aadhaar cards were manufactured on an “industrial scale” in the border areas to the Union Government.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) moved in quickly to swell the ranks of judicial officers deployed to aid the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the completion of the West Bengal Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, even alerting neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand to spare their judges. A Special Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant convened urgently after receiving a letter from the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court detailing the perils of the “enormous exercise”.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) approved three multi-tracking railway projects at a cost of ₹9,072 crore. The projects include the construction of a second line on the Gondia (Maharashtra)—Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) section and the addition of third and fourth lines between Punarakh and Kiul in Bihar, and between Gamharia and Chandil in Jharkhand.