The Government of Kerala (abbreviated as GoK) is the administrative body responsible for governing the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers.
The Kerala Council of Ministers, also known as the State Cabinet, is the highest executive decision-making body of the Government of Kerala. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
Ministers of the Kerala government are responsible to the Kerala Legislative Assembly; they make statements in the assembly and take questions from members of the assembly. The government is dependent on Kerala Legislative Assembly to make primary legislation. Legislative assembly elections are held every five years to elect a new assembly, unless there is a successful vote of no confidence in the government or a two-thirds vote for a snap election in the assembly, in which case an election may be held sooner. After an election, the governor selects as chief minister the leader of the party most likely to command the confidence of the assembly, usually by possessing a majority of MLAs.
Under the Indian constitution, executive authority lies with the governor, although this authority is exercised only by, or on the advice of, the chief minister and the cabinet. In most cases, the cabinet members exercise power directly as leaders of the government departments, though some cabinet positions are sinecures to a greater or lesser degree.
Executive branch
Governor
The governor is appointed by the President for a term of five years. The executive and legislative powers lie with the Chief Minister and his council of ministers, who are appointed by the governor. The governors of the states and territories of India have similar powers and functions at the state level as that of the president of India at the national level. Only Indian citizens above 35 years of age are eligible for appointment. Governors discharge all constitutional functions, such as the appointment of the chief minister, sending reports to the president about failure of constitutional machinery in a state, or with respect to issues relating to the assent to a bill passed by legislature, exercise or their own opinion.
Rajendra Arlekar is the present governor.
The governor enjoys many different types of powers: Executive powers related to administration, appointments, and removals Legislative powers related to lawmaking and the state legislature Discretionary powers to be carried out according to the discretion of the governor
Kerala Council of Ministers
Like in other Indian states, the executive arm of the state is responsible for the day-to-day management of the state. It consists of the governor, the chief minister and the council of ministers (also known as cabinet). The governor appoints the chief minister, and on the chief minister’s advice appoints the other ministers, while the chief minister allocates portfolios among them. The governor summons prorogues and dissolves the legislature. He can close the legislative assembly on the recommendation of the chief minister. Judiciary has been separated from the executive in Kerala like other Indian states.
The executive authority is headed by the Chief Minister of Kerala, who is the de facto head of state and is vested with most of the executive powers; the Legislative Assembly's majority party leader is appointed to this position by the Governor. The present Chief Minister is V.D. Satheesan, who took office on 18 May 2026. Generally, the winning party decides the chief minister. In many cases, the party focuses a chief ministerial candidate during the election.
The Council of Ministers, which answers to the Legislative Assembly, has its members appointed by the Governor; the appointments receive input from the Chief Minister. They are collectively responsible to the legislative assembly of the State. Generally, the winning party and its chief minister chooses the ministers list and submit the list for the Governor's approval.
The Present Council of Ministers of the Government of Kerala
Legislative branch
The legislature comprises the governor and the legislative assembly, which is the highest political organ in the state. The governor has the power to summon the assembly or to close the same. All members of the legislative assembly are directly elected, normally once in every five years by the eligible voters who are above 18 years of age. The current assembly consists of 140 elected members and one member nominated by the governor from the Anglo-Indian community. The elected members select one of its own members as its chairman who is called the speaker. The speaker is assisted by the deputy speaker who is also elected by the members. The conduct of a meeting in the house is the responsibility of the speaker.
The main function of the assembly is to pass laws and rules. Every bill passed by the house has to be finally approved by the governor before it becomes applicable.
The normal term of the legislative assembly is five years from the date appointed for its first meeting. But while a proclamation of state of emergency is in operation, the said period will be extended by Parliament by Laws for a period not exceeding one year at a time.
Judicial branch
The judiciary of Kerala functions as an independent branch of the state government, in accordance with the Constitution of India. The apex court in the state is the High Court of Kerala, which has jurisdiction over the state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. It is located at Kochi.
The High Court is headed by the Chief Justice of Kerala, and comprises 35 permanent judges and 12 additional judges appointed by the President of India in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the Governor of Kerala. Below the High Court, the judicial system includes district and subordinate courts, various special courts and tribunals for specific cases.
Kerala has 14 district and sessions courts, each headed by a Principal District and Sessions Judge. All these judicial districts are located in district headquarters, except at Manjeri, Thodupuzha, and Thalassery. These District Courts are vested with original, appellate, and revisional jurisdiction in both civil and criminal matters.
Special courts and tribunals exist, including special courts for the trial of cases registered by the NIA, CBI, and Kerala Vigilance, as well as tribunals for specific matters, all functioning under the appellate jurisdiction of the High Court of Kerala.
Besides these, Kerala has 78 Additional District Courts (including 50 Additional Motor Accident Claims Tribunals). The state also has 40 Sub Courts and 16 Additional Sub Courts. At the lower level, there are 57 Munsiff’s Courts, 24 Additional Munsiff’s Courts, and 20 Judicial Magistrate’s Courts, making a total of 77 Munsiff and Magistrate Courts. In addition, Kerala has 28 Family Courts, 27 Motor Accident Claims Tribunals, one Waqf Tribunal, 22 Fast Track Courts, and 30 Gram Nyayalayas.
Head Leaders + Constitutional office holders Post Incumbent Portrait Assumed office Governor of Kerala Rajendra Arlekar 2 January 2025 () Chief Minister of Kerala V. D. Satheesan 18 May 2026 () Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan 19 May 2026 Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Shanimol Usman 19 May 2026Leader of the OppositionPinarayi Vijayan TBDChief Justice of KeralaSoumen Sen10 January 2026 Advocate General of Kerala Jaju Babu 18 May 2026 + District in-charge ministers of Kerala No. District Minister 1 Thiruvananthapuram C. P. John 2 Kollam Shibu Baby John 3 Pathanamthitta P. C. Vishnunadh 4 Alappuzha M. Liju 5 Kottayam Mons Joseph 6 Idukki Anoop Jacob 7 Ernakulam Roji M. John 8 Thrissur O. J. Janeesh 9 Palakkad N. Shamsudheen 10 Malappuram P. K. Basheer 11 Kozhikode A. P. Anil Kumar 12 Wayanad T. Siddique 13 Kannur Sunny Joseph 14 Kasaragod K. M. Shaji + Statutory and Quasi-Judicial Authorities Office Incumbent Photo Assumed office Chairperson, Kerala State Human Rights Commission ^ Justice Alexander Thomas (Retd.) 2021 Lok Ayukta, Kerala Lok Ayukta ^ Justice N. Anil Kumar 2023 State Election Commissioner, Kerala State Election Commission N. Seshadrinathan January 2022 Chairman, Kerala Public Service Commission M. R. Baiju 2023 Chairperson, Kerala State Commission for Women P. Sathidevi October 2021 Chairperson, Kerala State Commission for SC/ST Justice G. Sasidharan 2023 + Key Administrative Officials Office Incumbent Photo Assumed office Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala Biswanath Sinha, IAS May 2025 Director General of Police & State Police Chief, Kerala Ravada A. Chandrasekhar, IPS June 2025Director General of Prosecution T. Asaf Ali (State Public Prosecutor)May 2028
Departments
The business of the state government is transacted through the various secretariat departments based on the rules of business. Each department is headed by a minister, who functions as the political head, while the secretary serves as the administrative head of the department. Each department consists of secretary to the government, who is the official head of the department and such other special secretaries, additional secretaries, joint secretaries, deputy secretaries, under secretaries, section officers, and staffs subordinate to him/her. Each section, the basic administrative unit of the secretariat, is headed by a section officer and staffed by assistant section officers and assistants. The Chief secretary superintending control over the whole secretariat and staff attached to the ministers. Secretaries in charge of departments are generally officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), holding the rank of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) or Principal Secretary, or Secretary.
The department is further divided into sections, each of which is under the charge of a section officer. Apart from these sections, dealing with the subjects allotted to them, there are other offices sections, assigned with specific duties. When there is more than one secretary in a department, there shall be a clear separation of work.
In addition to the Secretariat, the Government operates various line departments—commonly known as Directorates or Commissionerates—which function under the administrative control of their respective Secretariat Departments. These departments are responsible for policy implementation and service delivery and are headed by designated officers such as Directors, Commissioners, or Directors General, who may belong to IAS, IPS, IFS, or technical/specialist cadres.
Besides government departments, the state performs its functions through several allied institutions, including autonomous bodies, welfare fund boards, development authorities, commissions, public sector undertakings, universities, and cultural institutions.
At present there are 50 Secretariat Departments as below: Rules of Business of Government of Kerala;https://gad.kerala.gov.in/sites/default/files/general_attachment/Rules of Business - Part II.pdf
Administrative divisions
State administrative structureRef. Administrative divisions Total Districts 14 Revenue Divisions 27 Taluks 78 Revenue Villages 1666 Local-Self GovernmentsTotalRef.District Panchayats14Block Panchayats152Grama Panchayats941Municipal Corporations6Municipalities87 Electoral constituencies Total Lok Sabha constituencies20 Legislative assembly constituencies140
For administrative convenience, Kerala State has been divided into 14 districts, 27 revenue divisions, 77 taluks, 152 CD blocks, and 1666 revenue villages. For local governance, the state has 941 gram panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 14 district panchayats, 6 corporations, and 87 municipalities. State insignias