The Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) is an autonomous research institution committed to excellence in research in History, Archaeology and other areas of Social Science. Recognized as an official research centre of the University of Kerala and funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Government of Kerala, KCHR is situated in the premises of Vyloppilli Samskriti Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram. Research, publication, documentation, training and coordination are the major domains of KCHR.

Aims and Objectives

Under the able guidance of its Director and the visionary mentorship of its Chairman, KCHR aims to promote research and academic exchanges on history and the social sciences. It works towards creating a comprehensive database on Kerala which will generate scholarly interest at both national and international levels. To this end, the institution houses a state-of-the-art library, complete with the latest books, publications, journals and other reference material on Kerala history and society.

KCHR also offers high Internships, Fellowships and short-term courses. KCHR institutes and administers several fellowships and sponsorships on historical research. Seminars, workshops and conferences are held in multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas of research under the auspices of KCHR. The organization also undertakes projects entrusted by the government and has published around 34 volumes of its research.

Currently, KCHR is involved in high-profile projects such as Digitizing Kerala’s Past, Post Excavation works of the Pattanam Archaeological Research (2007 – 2015 ), Charitra-Anweshana Yatrathakal, Archives on Malayali Family Histories and Biographies, Oral History Project, Panchayath Vijnaneeyams, History of Malayali Migrations and Migrant Communities, Biographical Documentation of Kerala Women, Dalits and Adivasis and Database on Social Reformers.