In the year 1961, during the chief ministerial tenure of (late) Pattom Thanu Pillai, the Government of Kerala made the decision to bring out an encyclopaedia in Malayalam and appointed Prof. N. Gopala Pillai as the Chief Editor. Based on the decision of the Encyclopaedia Committee which met in 1969, a 20-volume series was chosen as the format for the encyclopaedia.
The first volume was published in 1972. Since then, 14 more volumes have been completed taking the total number to 15. The 16th volume is currently under preparation. The work of bringing out new and improved versions of volumes 1 to 10 have also been completed. The Encyclopaedia has won the State Award for the best reference book, instiututed by the Malayalam Book Development Association, of the Government of Kerala, three times.
Apart from this, single-volume encyclopaedias on specific topics, like the Paristhithi Vijnaanakosham and the Vaarshika Vijnaanakosham, have also been published by the Institute.
To know more about the State Institute of Encyclopaedic Publications, click here.
