The Home Department is an administrative department of the Government of Kerala. It plays a key role in maintenance of law and order in the state of Kerala. The department oversees the maintenance of law and order, prevention and control of crime, prosecution of criminals, administration of civil and criminal justice, besides dealing with fire services and prisons administration.
The department is also responsible for the functioning of State Police, Prisons and Correctional Services, Fire and Rescue Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards. The department is also the cadre controlling authority of Kerala Police Service (KPS). The Chief Minister generally serves as the departmental minister, and the Additional Chief Secretary (Home & Vigilance), an IAS officer, is the administrative head of the department. Ramesh Chennithala is the current Home Minister of Kerala.
Leadership and administration The Home Department is headed by the Minister for Home, who is a political appointee responsible for making policy decisions and providing strategic direction. The minister in charge of the home department is Shri Ramesh Chennithala, the Minister of Home Affairs and Vigilance. Assisting the Minister is the Additional Chief Secretary (Home & Vigilance), a senior IAS officer, also known as Home Secretary, who handles the day-to-day administrative affairs of the department.
The Home Department is organised into 21 sections, namely A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, PS, Attestation, SC, SSA, and SSB, each handling specific administrative and functional subjects. Each section is headed by an Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary, or Under Secretary, depending on the nature of work. They are responsible for handling specific subjects such as police administration, prisons, fire and rescue services, prosecution, administration of civil and criminal justice, and internal security.
The hierarchy within the Secretariat is as follows: Additional Chief Secretary (or Principal Secretary), Special Secretary, Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary, followed by Section Officers and other supporting staff.
Functions Law and Order Police Criminal Investigation (Crime Branch) Prosecution VIP Security Arms, and Ammunition Act Explosives Delhi Special Police Establishment Act TADA (Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act) Chemical Examiner’s Laboratory Public Safety Internal security Civil defence and Homeguards Fire and Rescue Services Censorship Administration of Justice All matters relating to the administration of justice, including civil and criminal law, and the constitution and organisation of courts (except the High Court), as well as matters relating to the offices and staff of the High Court. Prisons Administration of jails Department of Prisons and Correctional Services Foreigners, Passport and Visa Line Departments / Directorates The following departments and agencies function under the administrative control of the Home Department: Kerala Police Department Kerala Fire and Rescue Services Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services Kerala Civil Defence and Homeguards Directorate of Prosecution Chemical Examiners Laboratory Kerala State Forensic Science Laboratory
All these departments are inter-linked and co-ordinated by the Home department.
Heads of Departments (HODs) PositionIncumbentDepartmentWebsite DGP & State Police Chief, KeralaRavada Chandrashekhar IPSKerala Police Official website Director General of Fire and Rescue Services, Civil Defence and Home GuardsBalramkumar Upadya IPS, ADGPKerala Fire and Rescue ServicesOfficial websiteDirector General of Prisons and Correctional ServicesS.Sreejith IPS DGPKerala Prisons and Correctional ServicesOfficial websiteDirector General of Prosecution (DGP)T. Asaf AliDirectorate of ProsecutionOfficial websiteChairman and Managing Director S.Shyamsunder IPS IGPKerala Police Housing & Construction CorporationChief Chemical ExaminerAmbily T.S.Chemical Examiners Laboratory Department Official website
Statutory bodies Statutory institutions Kerala State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA) District Police Complaints Authorities (DPCAs)https://kerala.gov.in/departmentdetail/MTUyMzQ0MzEuOTY%3D Public sector undertakings Kerala Police Housing & Construction Corporation Ltd.
List of Home ministers of Kerala Portrait Name Constituency Term of office Party Ministry From To Days in office1V. R. Krishna Iyer Assembly constituency5 April 195731 July 1959IndependentFirst Namboodiripad ministry2P. T. ChackoMeenachil22 February 196020 February 19643 years, 363 daysIndian National CongressPattom MinistrySankar ministry3E. M. S. NamboodiripadPattambi6 March 19671 November 1969Communist Party of India (Marxist)Second Namboodiripad ministry4C. H. Mohammed KoyaMankada01 November 196901 August 1970Indian Union Muslim LeagueFirst C. Achutha Menon ministryKondotty04 October 197001 March 1973Second C. Achutha Menon ministry5K. KarunakaranMala25 September 197125 March 1977Indian National Congress6K. M. ManiPala25 March 197721 December 1977Kerala CongressFirst Karunakaran ministry First Antony ministry7P. J. JosephThodupuzha4 January 197826 September 1978First Antony ministry8K. M. ManiPala4 October 197826 July 1979P. K. Vasudevan Nair ministry9C. H. Mohammed KoyaMalappuram12 October 19791 December 1979Indian Union Muslim LeagueKoya ministry10T. K. Ramakrishnan25 January 198020 October 1981Communist Party of India (Marxist)First Nayanar ministry11Oommen ChandyPuthuppally28 December 198117 March 1982Indian National CongressSecond Karunakaran ministry12Vayalar RaviCherthala24 May 198224 May 19864 yearsThird Karunakaran ministry13E. K. NayanarThrikaripur26 March 198724 June 1991Communist Party of India (Marxist)Second Nayanar ministry14K. KarunakaranMala24 June 199122 March 1995Indian National CongressFourth Karunakaran ministry15A.K. AntonyTirurangadi22 March 199520 May 1996Second Antony ministry16E. K. NayanarThalassery20 May 199617 May 2001Communist Party of India (Marxist)Third Nayanar ministry17A. K. AntonyCherthala17 May 200131 August 2004Indian National CongressThird Antony ministry19Oommen ChandyPuthuppally31 August 200418 May 2006First Chandy ministry20Kodiyeri BalakrishnanThalassery18 May 200616 May 20114 years, 363 daysCommunist Party of India (Marxist)Achuthanandan ministryOommen ChandyPuthuppally18 May 201112 April 2012330 daysIndian National CongressSecond Chandy ministry21Thiruvanchoor RadhakrishnanKottayam12 April 201231 December 20131 year, 263 days22Ramesh ChennithalaHaripad1 January 201425 May 20162 years, 145 days23Pinarayi VijayanDharmadom25 May 20163 May 20219 years, 358 daysCommunist Party of India (Marxist)First Vijayan ministry20 May 202118 May 2026Second Vijayan ministry24Ramesh ChennithalaHaripad18 May 2026IncumbentIndian National CongressSatheesan ministry
See also
Department of Vigilance (Kerala)
Department of Finance (Kerala) Department of Revenue (Kerala)
References