Seat of Government Thiruvananthapuram | Governor P Sathashivam | |
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The executive wing of Government of Kerala is State Council of Ministers presided by Governor of the state, who is the nominal head of the government and headed by State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who is the real head of government and leader of the state cabinet. The current state council of ministers was sworn-in May 2016, after 2016 state elections. The term of every executive wing is for 5 years. The council of ministers are assisted by department secretaries attached to each ministry who are from IAS Kerala cadre. The chief executive officer responsible for issuing orders on behalf of Government is Chief Secretary to the State Government. The current Chief Secretary is S. M. Vijayanand who took charge on Oct 11, 2012.
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Chief Minister
Like any Indian state, the Chief Minister of Kerala is the real head of the government and responsible for state administration. He is the leader of the parliamentary party in the legislature and heads the state cabinet. The current Chief Minister is Pinarayi Vijayan.
State Cabinet
As per Indian Constitution, all portfolios of state government is vested in Chief Minister, who distribute various portfolio to individual ministers whom he nominates to the State Governor. The state governor appoints individual ministers for various portfolios and departments as per advice of Chief Minister and together form the State Cabinet. As the original portfolios are vested with CM, who delegates to others upon his/her wish, actions of individual ministers are part of collective responsibility of the state cabinet and Chief Minister is responsible for actions of each minister. The state cabinet along with Chief Minister, prepares General policy and individual department policy, which will be guiding policy for day-to-day administration of each minister.
History
The first executive of Kerala was formed after Government of India passed States Reorganisation Act-1956 in Indian Parliament. With the virtue of the act, the new state of Kerala was inaugurated, incorporating Malabar District of erstwhile Madras State, Travancore-Cochin (excluding 4 southern Taluks which were merged with Tamil Nadu), and the taluk of Kasaragod, South Kanara.