To preserve the strong edifice and rich values that helped shape the Kerala society, to coordinate the lessons of the past for a future society, creation of a new generation equipped with information on the past and present of Kerala and on the need to preserve archival materials.
Objectives
To acquire and preserve all non –current records of permanent value of the State Government Secretariat; various departments of State Government; all commissions set up by the Government; the State Public Service Commission; and records and papers of historical value with private individuals and institutions.
Major activities
Apart from the scientific preservation of the records under its control, the activities of the State Archives Department include the following:
- Security of records that are mature for destruction in public offices as precaution against the risk of records of archival or historical importance being lost.
- Issue of attested copies of public records to the applicants at prescribed rates.
- Easy access of archival materials to research scholars.
- Government officers to receive required information on various matters.
- Rendering technical advice to various State departments in matters of proper maintenance and upkeep of records.
- Survey and scrutiny of historical records in private possession and their acquisition wherever possible for the sake of research scholars. Such a project has been undertaken in collaboration with the Central Scheme of Compilation of Natural Register of Records.
- Participation in cultural and art exhibitions with a view to making the public aware of the significance of the archives.
- To create awareness among the public and the student community on the need to preserve archival materials.
- Organizing seminars and workshops on history.
- To form heritage clubs in schools in association with the Department of Education.
- To institute heritage awards.
- To conduct quiz programmes on history.
- Last but not least, the construction of historical monuments and museums; their maintenance to come under the purview of the State Archives Department.
