Kerala Government Departments

The offices of all the members of the Cabinet headed by the Chief Minister are located in the State Secretariat. Each department functions under the State Ministers. The present number of State Secretariat departments is 44. Out of these 44 departments, 42 Secretariat departments, excluding Finance and Law, are known as Administrative Departments. The Chief Secretary acts as the chief advisor to the Chief Minister in all areas of state administration. Secretaries are the officers in charge of various departments. In each department of the Secretariat, the posts of Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, etc. are held by IAS cadre. They are assisted by Special Secretaries, Additional Secretaries, Joint Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, Under Secretaries, Section Officers and Assistants.

Secretariat Departments

1. Agricultural Development and Farmers Welfare Department

2. Animal Husbandry Department

3. Ayush Department

4. Backward Communities Development Department

5. Co-operation Department

6. Coastal Shipping & Inland Navigation Department

7. Consumer Affairs Department

8. Cultural Affairs Department

9. Dairy Development Department

10. Electronics & Information Technology Department

11. Environment Department

12. Finance Department

The Secretariat officially started functioning on 23 August 1869. The Finance Department was one of the departments formed in 1871 under the orders of Colonel Munro and Rani Lakshmibai Thampuratti as part of the administrative reform and development plans. This department, formed in 1871, continues to play a major role in the state administration system. The finance department manages and regulates the state economy and finances through financial legislation, taxation, capital markets, financial institutions, center and state finances, and the state budget. The main duties and responsibilities of the Finance Department are outlined in Articles 202 to 206 of the Constitution of India. Therefore, the Finance Department carries out important constitutional responsibilities in the state administration system. The Finance Department takes decisions on matters related to the financial status of the state. The department controls the major functions like Stores & Purchase, Financial Enterprises, Agricultural Income Tax, Commercial Taxes, Treasuries, Lotteries, Local Fund Audit, State Insurance, Stamps & Stamp Duties etc. The Secretariat has three main sections - Administrative Secretariat, Finance Secretariat and Legal Secretariat. The Finance Department functions in the Finance Secretariat. The state's budget is managed by the Finance Department. The Treasury Department functions under the control of the Finance Department. The structure of the officers in the Finance Department is as follows: Finance Minister, Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary, Secretary (Financial Expenditure) & Secretary (Financial Resources), Special Secretary, Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary, Accounts Officer/Section Officer, Assistant.

22. Industries and Commerce Department

The aim of the Industries and Commerce Department of Kerala is to transform Kerala into an investment hub with a vibrant entrepreneurial community through environment-friendly and sustainable economic growth along with job creation. Anyone intending to start a small business in Kerala should first approach the State Industries and Commerce Department. A single window clearance system has been set up in the District Industries Centres operating in all 14 districts under the control of the Directorate at Vikas Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram. Every year, the Industries Department honours the best performers at the state and district levels by giving awards to them to encourage small businessmen.

23. Information and Public Relations Department

24. Labour and Skills Department

25. Law Department

Earlier, the new rules were promulgated by the Travancore Maharajas in the form of Chattavariyolas to facilitate administration of justice. The drafts of the acts and proclamations were prepared by the Diwans and submitted to the rulers who exercised the principles and details involved in them before promulgation. Later the Travancore-Cochin Government established the Law Department. The Law Department was a part of the State Secretariat Service and was under the Election Department, the Office of the Advocate General and Official Trustee. The work of publication of the Acts and the Ordinances so far are performed by the Travancore-Cochin Government and was taken over by the Law Department from the year 1951 onwards. Today, the Secretariat has three main sections - Administrative Secretariat, Finance Secretariat and Law Secretariat. The Law Department functions in the Law Secretariat. The Law Department takes decisions and provides legal advice on legal matters of the State Government. The Law Department is responsible for the general administration of the Department, the administration of the Advocate General's Office, the administration of the Human Rights Commission, the administration of personal laws, the administration of the Court Fee and Suit Valuation Act, the administration of the Kerala Advocate Clerk Welfare Fund Act, the administration of the Kerala Legal Benefit Fund Act, the formulation of laws and consolidation of laws, legal advice to other departments of the Secretariat, conveyancing, translation of laws, publication of Central and State laws, and appointment of notaries and government lawyers. In addition, the Secretariat Law Department Library functions as a reference library for the officers of the Law Department.

26. Local Self Government Department

In 1957, while the Balwant Roy Mehta Committee was still working, an administrative reform committee in Kerala, chaired by the then Industries Minister, prepared a draft bill, but the process could not continue after the dissolution of the cabinet. Many such experiments were carried out from 1959 to 1978. Preparation of bills, changes in each cabinet, abolition of ministries, suspension of panchayat elections, etc. were carried out. The same panchayat committees continued for 16 years. All this completely slowed the introduction of panchayat system in Kerala. In 1979, the District Administration Act was passed. Subsequently, many suggestions and amendments were accepted in 1987 to facilitate its functioning. District council elections were held in 1991-92. By 1993, the procedures for the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments had begun. The Kerala Panchayat Raj Act under the 73rd Constitution came into force on 23 April 1994 and the Kerala Municipality Act under the 74th Constitution came into force on 30 May 1994. The elected governing bodies came into power on 2 October 1995. Today, the local self-government system in the state of Kerala consists of 941 Gram Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats, 14 District Panchayats, 87 Municipalities and 6 Corporations. The Local Self-Government Department is responsible for coordinating the activities of these 1200 local bodies. 

27. Minority Welfare Department

28. Non Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) Department

29. Parliamentary Affairs Department

30. Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department

31. Planning and Economic Affairs Department

32. Power Department

33. Public Works Department

34. Revenue Department

35. Sainik Welfare Department

36. Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Development Department

37. Science & Technology Department

38. Social Justice Department

39. Sports & Youth Affairs Department

40. Stores Purchase Department

41. Taxes Department

42. Tourism Department

43. Transport Department

44. Vigilance Department

45. Water Resources Department

46. Women & Child Development Department