Rules and Regulations

The records preserved in the Regional Repositories (Archives) in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode (Calicut) are open for consultation between 10.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. on all working days.
Records are generally open for consultation only to bona fide research scholars. The following are accepted as bona fide research scholars:
1. Ordinary and corresponding members of the Indian Historical Records Commission.
2. Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Professors and Readers of a recognised University in India.
3. Post-graduate research workers of a recognised University in India, who produce a certificate from the Vice-Chancellor or the concerned Professor of the University, or, the Principal of a Post-graduate College, or any evidence that the Director of Archives may consider necessary.
4. Any official of the Government of India or any State Government when the work is under taken with the approval of the appropriate Government or Head of Department and where satisfactory evidence for such approval is produced.
5. Accredited correspondents of newspapers who would like to consult materials for writing articles on any matter of topical interest, provided the Director of Archives may refuse permission if he feels that the publication of the materials or parts thereof will tend to create disaffection among peoples or that it will not be in the interest of Government to publish them.
6. Authors and free-lancers who wish to do research on a specified topic may be deemed research scholars at the discretion of the Director of Archives, provided, they produce a letter of introduction from one of the following:
  1. Ordinary and corresponding members of the Indian Historical Records Commission.
  2. Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Professors and Readers of a recognised University in India.
  3. Any principal or Professor of a recognised College in Kerala.
  4. Chief Editor, Malayalam Lexicon, Thiruvananthapuram.
  5. Director, Oriental Manuscripts Library and Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram.
  6. Chief Editor, Malayalam Encyclopeadia, Thiruvananthapuram.
  7. Editor, Journal of Indian History, Thiruvananthapuram
  8. State Editor, Kerala Gazetteers, Thiruvananthapuram
  9. The Director, Language Institute, Thiruvananthapuram
  10. President, Kerala Sahitya Academy
  11. President, Kerala History Association, Cochin
Foreigners, however will require the permission of the Kerala Government for consulting the records.
The Director of Archives reserves to himself the right to refuse or to modify any application as he considers necessary.
Permission to inspect the records shall remain valid for six months from the date on which it is granted. If the permission is not availed of or if the inspection of records is not completed within the period, a further application shall be necessary for permission to inspect or to continue to inspect the records as the case may be
Inspection is allowed only in the presence of a member of the Archives staff. The officer in charge of the Archives may with the sanction of the Director of Archives impose such further conditions as he deems necessary to ensure the safe preservation and proper treatment of records.
No research scholar shall call for or consult records which are not relevant to the subject of his research. Copies, extracts or notes taken from the records shall not be taken out of the office before they are inspected by the officer-in-charge who will have full discretion to withhold such portions of the extracts or notes taken from the records as he may consider objectionable. In cases of doubt, he will refer the matter to the Director of Archives. All copies, extracts and notes must be made in a legible manner.
The information gained from the records should not be used for a purpose other than the one for which sanction has been accorded.
The State Archives may agree to undertake research amongst its records on behalf of individuals and institutions on payment of fees Transliteration, translation and transcription work may also be undertaken by the staff' of the State Archives on behalf of a scholar and the scales of charges for these types of work will be as follows:
1. Search fee: Rs. 5 per day
2. Transcription fee
  1. Transcription covering a foolscap sheet in double spacing @ 25 paise for each sheet without comparison
  2. Comparison of typescripts or manuscript with originals @ 0.12 paise for each foolscap sheet.
  3. Duplicate and triplicate copies ea 0.20 paise for each sheet.
Permission to take photos of records preserved by the Department shall be granted to 'research scholars, provided the purpose for which the photos are required is clearly stated in their applications and the Director of Archives satisfies himself that the purpose is bona fide and subject to the conditions to be prescribed in this regard in each case and also subject to rule 20. The Director of Archives however reserves to himself the right of refusing permission to take photos of records considering the nature and type of records requested to be photographed or to require for a reasonable amount being deposited which could be returned to the depositor when he fulfills the condition to produce copies of photos before the officer-in-charge of the Repository.
Application for microfilm copies of records will be considered on installation of a microfilm unit. Meanwhile, scholars who use their own devices may get such of those records as are allowed by the Director of Archives duplicated for their use.
In all cases where records are requisitioned by a research scholar, a separate slip shall be clearly written and signed by him for each paper or volume required. The slip will be returned to him by the officer-in-charge when he hands over the records.
Not more than five single documents or two volumes would be issued to a scholar at a time. Documents in a fragile condition shall be handed over singly or subject to such condition as the officer in-charge may deem necessary for their safety.
Big folio volumes are to be placed on book-rests and handled as little as possible.
Records and reference books must be treated with great care. No person shall write on documents or put one document on top of another or lean on any of the documents or lay note book or the paper on which he is taking note. Any defect in or damage to a document or book should be pointed out to the officer on duty in the Research Room at the time of borrowing.
No sort of marks with pen, pencil or otherwise may be made on any record.
With a view to prevent ink being spilt on records, the use of ink bottle shall not he allowed. If the volumes of documents can be placed on book rests, a fountain pen may be used for the purpose of taking notes or extracts. In all other cases, notes, or extracts shall be taken in pencil.
Tracing of signatures and drawings may be made only with the permission of the officer- in-charge and subject to such conditions as he may impose. Permission shall not be given, if it appears to the officer-in-charge that the process of tracing is likely to damage the documents.
Any person who uses the records for purposes of historical, research and published works based on those records is required to acknowledge the source in the publication and one .copy of every such publication based on the materials consulted at the Repositories of the State Archives Department must be deposited in the Library at the Directorate of Archives, soon after publication.
One copy of every photo taken on the records must also be deposited in the Archives whose records were taken photos of immediately after the photos are ready.
Smoking is strictly prohibited in the Record Room.
Willful and persistent disregard of these rules may result in the withdrawal of the permission granted to the research scholar
The research facilities mentioned in these rules are to be made available at the discretion of the Director of Archives. In case, of any doubt or dispute concerning there rules and their interpretation, the decision of the Government of Kerala shall be final and binding.

Gallery

Exhibitions