The Kerala Public Records Bill, 2023, is considered a landmark step that formalises record preservation, covering everything from palm-leaf manuscripts to digital files, and establishes a structured system to manage them scientifically.
Published Oct 03, 2025 | 11:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 03, 2025 | 11:00 AM
Synopsis: The recent passage of the Kerala Public Records Bill, 2023 has for the first time established a legal framework to preserve the state’s historical and administrative records. The legislation mandates record-keeping across government institutions, sets up structured archival systems, and introduces penalties to ensure compliance, while also allowing the acquisition of private collections. Experts caution, however, that the bill’s effectiveness will depend on adequate implementation, given the State Archives Department’s longstanding issues with staffing, infrastructure, and preservation practices.
In an era racing ahead with digital footprints, the yearning to trace one’s past remains timeless.
For Kerala, a land once divided into princely states and shaped by encounters with the Portuguese, Dutch and British, history lies scattered across fragile manuscripts, fading records and forgotten archives.
Until now, preserving this legacy depended on little more than a government circular. That gap has finally been bridged, at least on paper.
With the passage of the Kerala Public Records Bill, 2023, on Monday, 29 September, the state has for the first time given itself a legal framework to safeguard documents of historical and administrative value, a move that promises to reshape its archival landscape.
Despite having established a dedicated State Archives Department for preserving archaeological records more than a century ago, Kerala lacked a comprehensive legal framework to protect public and historical records.
The appraisal, retention, transfer and destruction of government records were carried out under a Higher Education Department order issued in 1976, a policy decision that does not even cover local self-government institutions.
While the Archaeological Sites and Monuments Act of 1968 ensures the protection of monuments and remains, there is no state law safeguarding vital public and archaeological records.
With preservation relying solely on a decades-old government order, the newly passed Kerala Public Records Bill, 2023, modelled on the Central Public Records Act of 1993, fills this critical legislative void.
The bill, introduced by Archives Minister Ramachandran Kadannappally and refined through extensive studies by a Select Committee, is considered a landmark step that formalises record preservation. It covers everything from palm-leaf manuscripts to digital files and establishes a structured system to manage them scientifically.
The legislation seeks to streamline records management across government departments, local bodies, public sector undertakings and statutory commissions.
It mandates every government-funded institution to set up record rooms, appoint record officers, and deposit documents of permanent value with the State Archives after 25 years.
It also empowers the government to regulate the transfer of records outside the state, oversee their systematic disposal, and accept private collections of archival worth, either as donations or purchases.
A key feature is the creation of a two-tier system of protection—first at the institutional level and then at the State Archives—ensuring both immediate care and long-term preservation.
With penalties prescribed for violations, the bill emphasises accountability while encouraging the inclusion of private records into the state’s archival wealth.
It empowers the Director of the State Archives Department to oversee record administration and mandates the appointment of records officers in every records-creating agency, with record rooms established under their charge.
An Archival Advisory Board, chaired by the Secretary of the State Archives Department and comprising 12 members, will guide the preservation and acquisition of records, including those in private custody.
The bill ensures that all unclassified public records over 30 years old are accessible to bona fide researchers, while records more than 100 years old can be destroyed only if deemed unusable for archival purposes.
Strict penal provisions also safeguard against the unauthorised removal or destruction of public records.
Talking to South First, history researcher Malayinkeezhu Gopalakrishnan said that while the legislation sounds promising, its real impact would depend on ground-level implementation.
“The current state of affairs at our State Archives Department is far from inspiring. There have been numerous complaints of valuable records getting damaged due to inexperience and lack of facilities. Kerala had a treasure trove of manuscripts, but many were damaged or lost. The same fate befell several historical documents – they were simply stacked up or scattered across departments, with little care for preservation,” he said.
Highlighting the consequences of negligence, Gopalakrishnan noted that poor upkeep has caused irreparable damage. The department suffers from a shortage of trained staff and inadequate infrastructure, while authorities remain largely indifferent.
“Though the bill has certain provisions that give glimpses of hope in archival conservation, everything will ultimately depend on how well it is implemented and monitored,” he added.
Meanwhile, Minister Ramachandran Kadannappally emphasised the importance of safeguarding historical documents, stating that “archival records are lighthouses of historical truths and must be preserved with the utmost responsibility, especially at a time when there are deliberate attempts to distort or erase history.”
He further noted that protecting such records is not just an administrative task but a profound “historical mission.”
Echoing this view, S Parvathy, Director-in-Charge of the Department of Archaeology, highlighted that the Kerala Public Records Bill offers clear direction and legal backing for the preservation of public records generated across the state.
She explained that once the bill comes into effect, a structured system would be established to safeguard documents at every level—from local offices to departmental headquarters and the state secretariat—ensuring greater efficiency in archival record preservation.
