The Indian state of Kerala borders with the states of Tamil Nadu on the south and east, Karnataka on the north and the Arabian Sea coastline on the west. The Western Ghats, bordering the eastern boundary of the State, form an almost continuous mountain wall, except near Palakkad where there is a natural mountain pass known as the Palakkad Gap.^[1] When the independent India amalgamated small states together Travancore and Cochin states were integrated to form Travancore-Cochin state on 1 July, 1949. However, Malabar remained under the Madras province. The States Reorganisation Act of 1 November 1956 elevated Kerala to statehood.^[2]

The state of Kerala is divided into 14 revenue districts. On the basis of geographical, historical and cultural similarities, the districts are generally grouped into North Kerala (Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikkod, Malappuram) , Central Kerala (Palakkad, Thrissur, Eranakulam, Idukki) and South Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam).^[3] Almost all of the districts in Kerala have the same name as the important town or city in the district, the exception being Wayanad district. The 14 districts are further divided into 62 taluks, 1453 revenue villages and 1007 Gram panchayats. Some of the districts and their towns were renamed in 1990 like Thiruvananthapuram (formerly known as Trivandrum), Kollam (Quilon), Alappuzha (Alleppey),^[4][5] Thrissur (Trichur or Thrishivaperur), Palakkad (Palghat), Kozhikode (Calicut) and Kannur (Cannanore).

Contents 1 Administrative structure 2 History 3 Alphabetical listing 4 Demand for new districts 4.1 Tirur 4.2 Mavelikkara 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Administrative structure

Kerala State has been divided into 14 districts, 21 revenue divisions, 14 District Panchayats, 63 taluks, 152 CD blocks, 1453 revenue villages, 999 Gram panchayats, 5 corporations and 53 municipalities.^[6]

A district is governed by a District Collector, who is an officer from Indian Administrative Service (IAS) of Kerala cadre and is appointed by the State Government of Kerala. Functionally the district administration is carried on through the various Departments of the State Government each of which has an office of its own the district level. The District Collector is the executive leader of the district administration and the District Officers of the various Departments in the district render technical advice to him in the discharge of his duties. The District Collector is a key functionary of Government having large powers and responsibilities. He has a dual role to both as the agent of the Government of the state and also as the representative of the people in the district. He is also responsible for the maintenance of the law and order of the district.^[7]

Other than urban units such as town municipalities and rural units called Gram panchayats , other government administrative subdivisions includes taluks and 'community development blocks' (also known as CD blocks or blocks). A taluk consists of urban units such as census towns and rural units called gram panchayats. The Tahsildar in charge of each taluk is primarily the Revenue Official responsible for the collection of revenue of the taluk, but he is also expected to be in direct contact with the people at all levels and to have first hand knowledge of the conditions of every village under his jurisdiction. The Tahsildar is assisted in each village by village officers and village assistants.^[8] A block also consists of such as census towns and Gram panchayats. A block is administered by a Block Development Officer (BDO), who is appointed by the Government of Kerala. A gram panchayat, which consists of a group of villages, is administered by a village council headed by a Gram Panchayat President.

A District Superintendent of Police, better known as a Superintendent of Police, heads the District Police organization of West Bengal Police. This is as per the Police Act of 1861, which is applicable to the whole of India.^[9] The Superintendents of Police are officers of the Indian Police Service.^[10] For every subdivision, there is a Subdivision Police, headed by a Police officer of the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police or Deputy Superintendent of Police.^[11] Under subdivisions, there are Police Circles, each headed by an Inspector of Police.^[11] A Police Circle consists of Police Stations, each headed by an Inspector of Police, or in case of rural areas, by a Sub-Inspector of Police.^[11]

The Kerala High Court has the jurisdiction of the state of Kerala. Each of the districts has a District Court.

[edit] History

Alleppey district was carved out of erstwhile Kottayam and Kollam (Quilon) districts on 17 August 1957. The name of the district Alleppey was changed as ‘Alappuzha’ in 1990.^[4] In 1982, Pathanamthitta district was newly constituted taking portions from the then Alappuzha, Kollam and Idukki districts. The areas transferred from the erstwhile Alappuzha district to Pathanamthitta district are Thiruvalla taluk as a whole and part of Chengannur and Mavelikkara Taluks.^[4]

[edit] Alphabetical listing

Code[12]	District	Headquarters[13]	Established[14]	Subdivisions	Population As of 2001[update][13]	Area[13]	Population Density
AL	Alappuzha	Alappuzha	7 Aug 1957[4]	6 Taluks[4] Ambalapuzha Chengannur Cherthala Karthikappally Kuttanad Mavelikkara	2,105,349	1,414 square kilometers (546 sq mi)	1,489 /km2 (3,856/sq mi)
ER	Ernakulam	Ernakulam	1 Apr 1958[15]	7 Taluks[16] Aluva Kanayannur Kochi Kothamangalam Kunnathunad Muvattupuzha Paravur	3,098,378	2,951 square kilometers (1,139 sq mi)	1,050 /km2 (2,719/sq mi)
ID	Idukki	Painavu	26 Jan 1972[17][18]	4 Taluks Devikulam Peerumade Thodupuzha Udumbanchola	1,128,605	4,479 square kilometers (1,729 sq mi)	252 /km2 (653/sq mi)
KL	Kollam	Kollam	1 Nov 1956[19] ( )[20]	5 Taluks[8] Karunagappally Kollam Kottarakkara Kunnathoor Pathanapuram	2,584,118	2,498 square kilometers (964 sq mi)	1,034 /km2 (2,678/sq mi)
KN	Kannur	Kannur	1 Jan 1957[21]	3 Taluks[21] Kannur Thalassery Thalipparamba	2,412,365	2,966 square kilometers (1,145 sq mi)	813 /km2 (2,106/sq mi)
KS	Kasaragod	Kasaragod	24 May 1984[22][23]	2 Taluks[24] Kasaragod Hosdurg	1,203,342	1,992 square kilometers (769 sq mi)	604 /km2 (1,564/sq mi)
KT	Kottayam	Kottayam	1 Nov 1956[25] ( )[20]	5 Taluks[26] Changanasserry Kanjirappally Kottayam Meenachil Vaikom	1,952,901	2,203 square kilometers (851 sq mi)	886 /km2 (2,295/sq mi)
KZ	Kozhikode	Kozhikode	1 Jan 1957[27]	3 Taluks[28] Koyilandy Kozhikode Vadakara	2,878,498	2,345 square kilometers (905 sq mi)	1,228 /km2 (3,181/sq mi)
MA	Malappuram	Malappuram	16 Jun 1969[29]	6 Taluks[29] Eranad Nilambur Perinthalmanna Ponnani Tirur Tirurangadi	3,629,640	3,550 square kilometers (1,371 sq mi)	1,022 /km2 (2,647/sq mi)
PL	Palakkad	Palakkad	1 Jan 1957[30]	5 Taluks[31] Alathur Chittoor Mannarkkad Ottappalam Palakkad	2,617,072	4,480 square kilometers (1,730 sq mi)	584 /km2 (1,513/sq mi)
PT	Pathanamthitta	Pathanamthitta	1 Nov 1982[32][33]	5 Taluks[34] Adoor Kozhencherry Mallappally Ranni Thiruvalla	1,231,577	2,462 square kilometers (951 sq mi)	500 /km2 (1,295/sq mi)
TS	Thrissur	Thrissur	1 Nov 1956[35] (1 Jul 1949)[20]	5 Taluks[35] Chavakkad Kodungallur Mukundapuram Thalapilly Thrissur	2,975,440	3,032 square kilometers (1,171 sq mi)	981 /km2 (2,541/sq mi)
TV	Thiruvananthapuram	Thiruvananthapuram	1 Nov 1956[20][36]	4 Taluks[36] Chirayinkeezhu Nedumangad Neyyattinkara Thiruvananthapuram	3,234,707	2,192 square kilometers (846 sq mi)	1,476 /km2 (3,823/sq mi)
WA	Wayanad	Kalpetta	1 Nov 1980[37]	3 Taluks[37] Mananthavady Sultan Battery Vythiri	786,627	2,131 square kilometers (823 sq mi)	369 /km2 (956/sq mi)
Total	—	—	—	—	31,841,374	38,863 square kilometers (15,005 sq mi)	819.32 /km2 (2,122/sq mi)

[edit] Demand for new districts

[edit] Tirur

MALAPPURAM: The Tirur Souhridavedi has demanded that a new district, with Tirur as its headquarters, be formed by bifurcating Malappuram district. In a statement here on Friday, Souhridavedi leaders K. Alikutty, Akbarali Mambad, A.S. Rajendran, Hameed Kainikkara and P.P. Entheenkutty said that Malappuram was the largest populated district in the State.

Important offices such as Collectorate, District Police Superintendent's Office and District Education Office function in Malappuram. But other offices like the District Medical Office, District Court, District Hospital and the PWD Engineering Office function in Manjeri.

The people of Ponnani, Tavanur, Edappal, Perumpadappu, Marancheri and Veliyankode have to travel all the way to Manjeri, the leaders said.

A new district will solve the present problems of Malappuram, they said. The mini-civil station at Tirur can be upgraded as Collectorate if the Government sanctions a new district, they said.

[edit] Mavelikkara

ALAPPUZHA: The demand for a new Central Travancore district with Mavelikkara as its headquarters is being raised once again. The demand, which was not heard for the last seven years or so, was raised by the Thiruvananthapuram-based Janakeeya Samithi led by freedom-fighter K.E. Mammen and Mavelikkara MLA M. Murali during a public function attended by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan at Mavelikkara on Monday. Mr. Murali, pointing out that the demand for a separate Central Travancore district centred around Mavelikara or Onattukara was a long-standing one, said it was because of constant pressure from himself, Mavelikkara MP C.S. Sujatha and other leaders that Onattukara was included in the M.S. Swaminathan Commission’s package for Kuttanad. Onattukara, just like other areas in Kuttanad, deserved special attention as far its agricultural woes were concerned. The region also required more attention from Railways, he said, requesting Mr. Achuthanandan to pressurise Railways to establish a Mavelikkara-Punalur railway line. The Janakeeya Samithi, on the other hand, submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister citing the demand for the new district. Signed by Samithi director Ashok Alex Philip and general secretary Ani Varghese, the memorandum recalled that Mavelikara was the central hub pivotal to administrative affairs during the days of the Travancore monarchy. Geography Speaking to The Hindu, Samithi general secretary Ani Varghese said it could be carved out of Alappuzha, Kottayam and Kollam comprising regions from Ambalapuzha up to Kayamkulam including Karthikapally, Pandalam, Mavelikkara, Onattukara, upper Kuttanad regions and parts of Thiruvalla up to Karunagapally. The Samithi said it would wait for a reply from Mr. Achuthanandan before launching an agitation for the district.

[edit] See also

• Kerala
• Government of Kerala
• Corporations, Municipalities and Taluks of Kerala
• List of districts of India

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Districts of Kerala

• Official website of Government of Kerala

v • d • e Districts of Kerala, India Districts Alappuzha · Ernakulam · Idukki · Kannur · Kasargod · Kollam · Kottayam · Kozhikode · Malappuram · Palakkad · Pathanamthitta · Thiruvananthapuram · Thrissur · Wayanad

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