Administrative divisions of Kerala
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. 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.
Kerala is divided into districts, revenue divisions, taluks, and villages for revenue administration, and for rural development, it is divided into blocks.
Each state government department has its own administrative divisions, usually all functioning at the district level. Other divisions include police districts and education districts. A police district is usually coterminous with a district or within a district.
Administrative structure
[edit]On the basis of geographical, historical and cultural similarities, the districts are generally grouped into North Kerala, Central Kerala and South Kerala.[1]
Districts
[edit]The state is divided into 14 districts. These districts are the pivotal administrative divisions of the state, serving as centers for revenue and general administration. The name and headquarters of each district are usually the major city or town, with the exception of Wayanad district, which is headquartered in Kalpetta. The Collectorate plays a pivotal role as the seat of district administration.[1]
Revenue divisions
[edit]These 14 districts are further divided into revenue divisions. There are total 27 revenue divisions in Kerala. Each revenue division contains several taluks within its jurisdiction for revenue administration. Each revenue division has a Revenue Divisional Office, headed by Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), who is also the Sub Divisional Magistrate.[1]
Taluks
[edit]There are 78 taluks in Kerala. A taluk (also known as sub-district) is the administrative level below of a district. A taluk consists of several revenue villages under its jurisdiction and has a Taluk office headed by a Tehsildar. The functions of the taluk office include revenue administration, election oversight, executive magisterial duties, and disaster management.[1]
Revenue villages
[edit]There are 1670 revenue villages in total. Each has a Village Office, headed by Village Officer. It's the primary level of revenue administration.[1]