Kerala Important Acts

The Kerala Legislative Assembly has passed laws that have made history in the fields of Land Reforms, Labour Welfare, Education, Resource Mobilisation, Local Self Government, Social Welfare, Public Service Commission, and Law and Order. Here is the list of important laws passed from the first Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1957 to the fifteenth Kerala Legislative Assembly that came into force in 2021. Some of these laws have been amended later. The content of some laws has changed. But that has not diminished the historical value of these laws.

Land Reforms

♦ Kerala Stay of Eviction Proceedings Act, 1957

♦ Kerala Land Conservancy Act, 1957

♦ Kerala Agrarian Relations Bill, 1957

♦ Kerala Forest Act, 1962

♦ Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963

♦ Kerala Scheduled Tribes (Restriction on Transfer of Lands and Restoration Alienated Lands) Act, 1975

♦ Kerala Preservation of Trees Act, 1986

♦ Kerala Restriction on Transfer by and Restoration of Lands to Scheduled Tribes Act, 1999

♦ Kerala Ground Water (Control and Regulation) Act, 2002

♦ Kerala Farmers Debt Relief Commission Act, 2006

♦ Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008

Labour Welfare

♦ Kerala Industrial Establishment (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1958

♦ Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1960

♦ Unregistered Cashewnut Factories Prohibition Act, 1967

♦ Kerala Toddy Worker’s Welfare Fund Act, 1968

♦ Kerala Industrial Employees Payment of Gratuity Act, 1970

♦ Kerala Cashew Factories Acquisition Act, 1974

♦ Kerala Agricultural Workers Act, 1974

♦ Kerala Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1975

♦ Kerala Headload Workers Act, 1978

♦ Kerala Cashew Workers Relief and Welfare Fund Act, 1979

♦ Kerala Raw Cashewnuts(Procurement and Distribution) Act, 1981

♦ Super Clays and Minerals Mining Company(Pvt) Ltd (Acquisition of Undertakings) Act, 1984 

♦ Kerala Silk Textile Undertaking (Acquistion and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1985

♦ Kerala Motor Transport Worker's Welfare Fund Act, 1985

♦ Kerala Fishermen's Welfare Fund Act, 1985

♦ Kerala Coir Workers' Welfare Fund Act, 1987

♦ Kerala Khadi Workers' Welfare Fund Act, 1989

♦ Kerala Handloom Worker's Welfare Fund Act, 1989

♦ Kerala Abkari Worker’s Welfare Fund Act, 1989

♦ Kerala Construction Worker’s Welfare Fund Act, 1989

♦ Kerala Tailoring Worker’s Welfare Fund Act, 1994

♦ Kerala Beedi and Cigar Worker’s Welfare Fund Act, 1995

♦ Kerala Loading and Unloading (Prohibition of Extortionary Intimidatory or Other Unlawful Practices) Act, 2002

♦ Kerala Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2010

Education

♦ Kerala Education Act,1958

♦ Kerala Agricultural University Act, 1971

♦ Cochin University Act, 1971

♦ Kerala University Act, 1972

♦ Calicut University Act, 1975

♦ Mahatma Gandhi University Act, 1985

♦ Kerala Public Libraries (Kerala Granthasala Sangham) Act, 1989

♦ Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit Act, 1994

♦ Pre-degree Course (Abolition) Act, 1997

♦ Kerala Sports Act, 2000

♦ National University of Advanced Legal Studies Act, 2005

♦ Kerala University of Health and Allied Sciences Act, 2010

♦ Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Established by KVASU Act, 2010

♦ Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies Act, 2010

♦ Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University Act, 2013

Resource Mobilisation

♦ Kerala Surcharge on Taxes Act, 1957

♦ Kerala Plantation Tax Act, 1960

♦ Kerala Additional Tax on Entertainments and Surcharge on Show Tax Act, 1963

♦ Kerala Building Tax Act, 1975

♦ Kerala Tax on Luxuries in Hotels and Lodging Houses Act, 1976

♦ Kerala Tolls Act, 1976

♦ Kerala Motor Vehicles (Taxation of Passengers and Goods, Revival and Special Provisions ) Act, 1983

♦ Kerala Electricity Surcharge (Levy and Collection) Act, 1989

♦ Kerala Tolls (Amendment) Act, 1990

♦ Kerala Agricultural Income-tax Act, 1991

♦ Kerala Tax on Entry of Motor Vehicles Into Local Areas Act, 1994

Local Self Government

♦ Kerala Panchayats Act, 1960

♦ Kerala Municipalities Act, 1960

♦ Kerala Municipal Corporations Act,1961

♦ Kerala District Administration Act, 1980

♦ Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994

♦ Kerala Municipalities Act, 1994

Social Welfare

♦ Kerala Money Lenders Act, 1958

♦ Kerala Habitual Offenders Act, 1960

♦ Kerala Borstal Schools Act, 1960

♦ Kerala Gaming Act, 1960

♦ Kerala Agriculturist's Loans Act, 1961

♦ Kerala Essential Articles Control (Temporary Powers) Act, 1961

♦ Kerala Relief Undertakings (Special provisions) Act, 1961

♦ Kerala Corneal Grafting Act, 1963

♦ Kerala Land Development Act, 1963

♦ Kerala State Rural Development Act, 1971

♦ Kerala State Housing Board Act, 1971

♦ Kerala Children Act, 1972

♦ Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1975

♦ Kerala Slum Areas Improvement and Clearance Act, 1981

♦ Kerala Advocate Welfare Fund Act, 1980

♦ Kerala State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993 

♦ Kerala Women’s Commission Act, 1995

♦ Kerala Essential Articles Control Act, 1986

♦ Kerala Water Supply and Sewerage Act, 1986

♦ Kerala Command Areas Development Act, 1986

♦ Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Act, 1993

♦ Non-Resident Keralites Welfare Act, 2008

♦ Kerala Cultural Activists Welfare Fund Act, 2011

♦ Kerala State Youth Commission Act, 2013

♦ Minority Commission Act, 2013

Public Service Commission

♦ Kerala PSC (Additional Functions) Act, 1963

♦ Kerala PSC(Additional Functions as respects the KSRTC) Act, 1970

♦ Kerala PSC (Additional Functions as Respects certain Corporation and Companies) Act, 1970

♦ Kerala PSC (Additional Functions as Respects the services under Local Authorities) Act, 1973

♦ Kerala PSC (Additional Functions as Respects certain societies) Act, 1996

Law and Order

♦ Kerala Police Act, 1961

♦ Kerala Habitual Offenders Act, 1960

♦ Kerala Lok Ayuktha Act, 1998

♦ Kerala Anti - Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 2007

♦ Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2012

Other Important Acts

♦ The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955

♦ Kerala Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1958

♦ Kerala Dramatics Performance Act, 1961

♦ Kerala Cattle Trespass Act, 1961

♦ Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961

♦ Kerala Public Services (Inquiries) Act, 1963

♦ Kerala Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1965

♦ Kerala Prevention and Control of Animal Diseases Act, 1967

♦ Kerala Court of Wards Act, 1967

♦ Kerala Revenue Recovery Act, 1968

♦ Kerala Animals and Birds Sacrifices Prohibition Act, 1968

♦ Kerala Treasure Trove Act, 1968

♦ Kerala Public Services Act, 1968

♦ Kerala Co-Operative Societies Act, 1969

♦ Kerala Official Language (Legislation) Act, 1969

♦ Kerala Chitties Act, 1975

♦ Kerala Apartment Ownership Act, 1983

♦ The Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985

♦ Prevention of corruption and mal-administration - Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988

♦ Human Rights - The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993

♦ Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003

♦ Right to Information Act, 2005

♦ Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

♦ The Kerala State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Act, 2007

♦ The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007

♦ The Kerala State Right to Service Act, 2012

♦ Protection and Safeguards of Children-Offences against children under IPC, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO)

♦ Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013

♦ Juvenile Justice Act, 2015

♦ The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016

♦ Consumer Protection Act, 2019

♦ The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019