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Graduate Level intermediate Kerala GK One-Liners Quick Facts Rapid Revision

500 One-Liner Facts About Kerala — Rapid Revision

500 quick one-liner facts covering Kerala geography, history, culture, politics, economy, and firsts for Kerala PSC exam rapid revision.

Published: 21 Apr 2026 Relevant for: Graduate Level Prelims, Secretariat Assistant, Village Field Assistant, LDC, University Assistant

Pure fact-based one-liners for rapid revision. No explanations — just the fact and the answer. Organized by category.

Geography (1-75)

  1. Total area of Kerala — 38,863 km²
  2. Kerala ranks 21st among Indian states by area
  3. Coastline length — 580 km
  4. Number of districts — 14
  5. Largest district by area — Palakkad (4,480 km²)
  6. Smallest district by area — Alappuzha (1,414 km²)
  7. Most populous district — Malappuram (41.13 lakh, 2011)
  8. Least populous district — Wayanad (8.17 lakh, 2011)
  9. Highest point — Anamudi (2,695 m)
  10. Longest river — Periyar (244 km)
  11. Second longest river — Bharathapuzha (209 km)
  12. Shortest river — Manjeswaram (16 km)
  13. Only navigable river — Valapattanam
  14. Largest lake — Vembanad Lake (2,033 km²)
  15. Largest backwater — Vembanad Lake
  16. Number of rivers — 44
  17. Number of east-flowing rivers — 3 (Kabini, Bhavani, Pambar)
  18. Largest dam — Idukki Dam (arch dam, 168.91 m height)
  19. Largest earth dam in India — Banasura Sagar Dam (Wayanad)
  20. Kerala’s only Ramsar sites — Vembanad-Kol Wetland and Ashtamudi Lake (both designated 2002), Sasthamkotta Lake (2002)
  21. Highest waterfall — Meenmutty Falls (300 m, Wayanad — disputed; some sources say Sentinel Rock Falls)
  22. Largest waterfall by volume — Athirappilly (Thrissur)
  23. Southernmost point — Kaliyikkavila (Thiruvananthapuram)
  24. Northernmost point — Manjeswaram (Kasaragod)
  25. Only plateau district — Wayanad
  26. Only district with no coastline — Idukki
  27. Only district entirely in the lowlands — Alappuzha
  28. Pass connecting Kerala-Tamil Nadu — Palakkad Gap (32 km wide)
  29. Largest wildlife sanctuary — Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (925 km²)
  30. Smallest wildlife sanctuary — Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary (2.74 ha, Ernakulam)
  31. Number of national parks — 6 (Eravikulam, Silent Valley, Periyar, Anamudi Shola, Mathikettan Shola, Pambadum Shola)
  32. Only district HQ that is not a municipality — Painavu (Idukki)
  33. Number of taluks — 75
  34. Number of revenue villages — 1,664
  35. Largest island — Vypin Island (Ernakulam)
  36. Artificial island — Willingdon Island (Kochi, created 1933)
  37. Below-sea-level farming — Kuttanad (Alappuzha)
  38. Latitude — 8°18’N to 12°48’N
  39. Longitude — 74°52’E to 77°22’E
  40. States bordering Kerala — Karnataka (north), Tamil Nadu (east and south)
  41. Number of corporation cities — 6 (Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur)
  42. Hottest place in Kerala — Palakkad (highest summer temperatures)
  43. Wettest place — Lakkidi (Wayanad, ~6,000 mm annual rainfall)
  44. Neriamangalam Gap — where Periyar enters the plains (Idukki-Ernakulam)
  45. Silent Valley is in — Palakkad district
  46. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary — Idukki (only sanctuary with sandalwood forest in Kerala)
  47. Grass hills — Eravikulam National Park
  48. Nilgiri Tahr habitat — Eravikulam
  49. Number of bird sanctuaries — Kumarakom, Thattekkad (Salim Ali), Mangalavanam, Kadalundi, Pathiramanal
  50. “Bird Man of India” Salim Ali — Thattekkad named after him
  51. Largest forest area — Idukki
  52. Kerala’s forest cover — approximately 54% of geographic area (including tree cover)
  53. Main soil type in coastal areas — Laterite
  54. Main soil in Kuttanad — Alluvial (Kari soil)
  55. River flowing into Arabian Sea through Kozhikode — Kallayi River
  56. River on which Malampuzha Dam is built — Malampuzha River (tributary of Bharathapuzha)
  57. Peechi Dam — on Manali River (Thrissur)
  58. Kakki Dam — on Kakki River (Pathanamthitta)
  59. Neyyar Dam — on Neyyar River (Thiruvananthapuram)
  60. Thanneermukkom Bund — separates salt and fresh water in Vembanad Lake
  61. Mattupetty Dam — Idukki (near Munnar)
  62. Kundala Dam — Idukki (masonry gravity dam near Munnar)
  63. Parambikulam Dam — on Parambikulam River (Palakkad)
  64. District with most rivers — Kannur
  65. Mangrove forest in Kerala — Kannur, Ernakulam (Vypeen area)
  66. Teak plantation — Nilambur (Malappuram) — world’s oldest (1842)
  67. Sandal trees — Marayur (Idukki) — only natural sandalwood forest in Kerala
  68. Ponmudi hill station — Thiruvananthapuram
  69. Vagamon — Idukki
  70. Munnar altitude — approximately 1,600 m
  71. Agasthyakoodam — 1,868 m (Thiruvananthapuram, biological hotspot)
  72. Western Ghats — UNESCO World Heritage (2012), 39 sites in Kerala included
  73. Pamba River origin — Pulachimalai (Idukki)
  74. Periyar River origin — Sivagiri Hills (Tamil Nadu)
  75. Bharathapuzha origin — Anamalai Hills (Tamil Nadu)

History (76-140)

  1. Oldest known name of Kerala — Keralaputra (Ashoka’s Rock Edict II)
  2. Kerala mentioned in Ashoka’s edicts as — Keralaputra
  3. Sangam literature references — Chera kingdom (Vanchi/Karur was capital)
  4. Muziris (Kodungallur) — ancient port; traded with Rome
  5. Cheraman Perumal — last Chera king (legend: converted to Islam, went to Mecca)
  6. Cheraman Juma Masjid — Kodungallur (629 CE, one of the oldest mosques in India)
  7. St. Thomas (Apostle) — arrived at Kodungallur in 52 CE (tradition)
  8. Jewish settlement — Kodungallur (earliest, 68 CE tradition); later Mattancherry
  9. Kulasekhara dynasty — 9th-12th century, Mahodayapuram (Kodungallur) capital
  10. Venad kingdom capital — Kollam
  11. Battle of Kayamkulam (1746) — Travancore vs. Dutch
  12. Battle of Colachel (1741) — Marthanda Varma defeats the Dutch (first Asian victory over European naval power)
  13. Marthanda Varma — founder of modern Travancore (1729-1758)
  14. Temple Entry Proclamation — 1936 (Maharaja Chithira Thirunal of Travancore)
  15. Vaikom Satyagraha — 1924-25 (temple road access for lower castes)
  16. Guruvayur Satyagraha — 1931-32 (temple entry, led by K. Kelappan)
  17. Malabar Rebellion (Mappila Rebellion) — 1921
  18. Punnapra-Vayalar uprising — 1946 (communist-led workers’ revolt in Alappuzha)
  19. Travancore State Congress founded — 1938
  20. First ministry of Kerala — EMS Namboodiripad (1957, first elected communist government in India)
  21. Kerala formed — November 1, 1956 (States Reorganisation Act)
  22. Aikya Kerala Movement — movement for united Kerala (1920s-1950s)
  23. Travancore joined Indian Union — July 1949
  24. Cochin joined Indian Union — July 1949
  25. Thiru-Kochi state formed — 1949
  26. Malabar was part of — Madras Presidency
  27. Tipu Sultan’s invasion of Kerala — 1766-1792 (Malabar)
  28. Pazhassi Raja — “Kerala Simham” (Lion of Kerala), fought against British (1793-1805)
  29. Veluthampi Dalawa — Diwan of Travancore, revolted against British (1809)
  30. Rani Lakshmi Bai of Travancore — Sethu Lakshmi Bayi (regent 1924-1931)
  31. Velu Thampi and Paliyath Achan — joint revolt (1808-09)
  32. Kurichiyas revolt — 1812 (tribal revolt supporting Pazhassi Raja)
  33. Kochi kingdom — ruled by Perumpadappu Swaroopam
  34. Portuguese arrival in Kerala — 1498 (Vasco da Gama at Calicut)
  35. Dutch in Kerala — Fort Kochi (1663), expelled 1795 by British
  36. First European fort in India — Fort Manuel (Pallipuram, 1503, Portuguese)
  37. Vasco da Gama’s second visit — 1502
  38. Vasco da Gama died at — Kochi (1524), buried at St. Francis Church
  39. First printing press in India — Kochi (1577, by Portuguese Jesuits)
  40. Hyder Ali’s invasion of Malabar — 1766
  41. Mysorean invasion ended with — Treaty of Seringapatam (1792)
  42. Adi Shankara born at — Kalady (788 CE)
  43. Narayana Guru born — 1856 (Chempazhanthy, Thiruvananthapuram)
  44. Ayyankali — social reformer, founded Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham (1907)
  45. Chattampi Swamikal — 1853-1924, spiritual reformer
  46. Vakkom Abdul Khader Moulavi — Muslim reformer (1873-1932)
  47. V.T. Bhattathiripad — Brahmin social reformer, “Adukkala” (Kitchen) fame
  48. Pandit Karuppan — Dheevara community reformer
  49. Poykayil Yohannan (Kumara Guru) — Dalit spiritual leader
  50. First Dewan of Travancore — Ramayyan Dalawa (under Marthanda Varma)
  51. T.K. Madhavan — leader of Vaikom Satyagraha
  52. Sahodaran Ayyappan — “Jathikkumilla, Mathathikkumilla, Daivathikkumilla Manushyan” (no caste, no religion, no god for man)
  53. Mannathu Padmanabhan — founded Nair Service Society (NSS, 1914)
  54. Dr. Palpu — Ezhava leader, inspired SNDP Yogam formation
  55. SNDP Yogam founded — 1903 (Narayana Guru as first president)
  56. Abstention Movement — 1957 (against EMS government education bill)
  57. Liberation Struggle (Vimochana Samaram) — 1958-59 (led to dismissal of EMS government)
  58. Land Reform Act — 1963 (Kerala, implemented 1970)
  59. Kerala Education Act — 1958
  60. First Lok Sabha MP from Kerala — Annie Mascarene (Thiruvananthapuram, 1952)
  61. Cochin Synagogue built — 1568 (oldest active synagogue in Commonwealth)
  62. Paliyam Satyagraha — 1947 (temple entry, Cherthala)
  63. Kayamkulam was ruled by — Kayamkulam Rajas
  64. Kodungallur Bharani festival — famous for explicit folk songs (Kerala’s most controversial festival)
  65. Mamankam festival — held at Thirunavaya (Malappuram) every 12 years

Culture and Literature (141-210)

  1. First Malayalam novel — Kundalatha by Appu Nedungadi (1887)
  2. First Malayalam short story — Vasanavikriti by Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar (1891)
  3. First Malayalam dictionary — compiled by Hermann Gundert (1872)
  4. First Malayalam newspaper — Rajyasamacharam (1847, by Hermann Gundert)
  5. First Malayalam cinema — Vigathakumaran (1928, directed by J.C. Daniel)
  6. First Malayalam talkie — Balan (1938)
  7. Father of Malayalam prose — Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan
  8. Father of modern Malayalam literature — Kerala Varma Valiya Koi Thampuran
  9. Malayalam became a classical language — 2013
  10. Oldest Malayalam inscription — Vazhappally Copper Plate (9th century)
  11. Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan — wrote Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilippattu (16th century)
  12. Cherusseri Namboothiri — wrote Krishnagatha (15th century)
  13. Kumaran Asan — poet of renaissance; Veena Poovu, Nalini, Leela, Karuna
  14. Vallathol Narayana Menon — founded Kerala Kalamandalam (1930)
  15. Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer — poet; Umaa Keralam
  16. “Mahakavi Trio” — Kumaran Asan, Vallathol, Ulloor
  17. Changampuzha Krishna Pillai — Ramanan (most popular Malayalam poem)
  18. Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai — Chemmeen, Kayar (Jnanpith 1984)
  19. S.K. Pottekkatt — Oru Desathinte Katha (Jnanpith 1980)
  20. G. Sankara Kurup — Odakkuzhal (first Jnanpith from Kerala, 1965)
  21. M.T. Vasudevan Nair — Randamoozham, Manju (Jnanpith 1995)
  22. O.N.V. Kurup — Jnanpith 2007
  23. Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri — Jnanpith 2019
  24. Vaikom Muhammad Basheer — Beypore Sultan; Balyakalasakhi, Pathummayude Aadu
  25. Kunjunni Mash — master of one-line poems (Onakkalikal)
  26. Kathakali — classical dance-drama of Kerala (originated 17th century)
  27. Mohiniyattam — classical dance (feminine, graceful; revived by Vallathol)
  28. Koodiyattom — UNESCO Intangible Heritage (2001) — oldest surviving theatre form
  29. Theyyam — ritual art form of North Kerala (Kannur, Kasaragod)
  30. Poorakkali — folk art of Kadathanadu (Kozhikode)
  31. Oppana — Muslim wedding dance form
  32. Thiruvathira — women’s group dance (performed on Thiruvathira day)
  33. Ottamthullal — created by Kunchan Nambiar (18th century)
  34. Chakyar Koothu — solo performance art by Chakyar community
  35. Padayani — ritual art of Pathanamthitta (masks representing Bhadrakali)
  36. Thullal — three types: Ottan, Seethankan, Parayan
  37. Kerala Kalamandalam — Cheruthuruthy (Thrissur), founded 1930
  38. Onam — state festival (August-September, Chingam month)
  39. Vishu — Malayalam New Year celebration (Medam 1, April 14/15)
  40. Thrissur Pooram — largest temple festival, started by Sakthan Thampuran (1798)
  41. Nehru Trophy Boat Race — Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha (started 1952)
  42. Aranmula Boat Race — oldest boat race in Kerala (associated with Onam)
  43. Aranmula Kannadi — unique metal mirror (GI tagged)
  44. Kasavu Mundu — traditional Kerala white and gold garment
  45. Sadya — traditional Kerala feast, served on banana leaf
  46. Kalaripayattu — oldest martial art in the world (originated in Kerala)
  47. Velakali — martial art performance at Ambalappuzha temple
  48. Ashtavaidya tradition — eight families of Ayurvedic practitioners
  49. Ayurveda — Kerala is the most prominent state for Ayurveda practice
  50. Sarpam Thullal — ritual dance to propitiate serpent gods
  51. Margamkali — Christian folk dance (Syrian Christians)
  52. Duffmuttu — Muslim art form (Malappuram)
  53. Kolkali — stick dance (performed during Onam)
  54. First Jnanpith winner from Kerala — G. Sankara Kurup (1965)
  55. Kerala Sahitya Akademi founded — 1956 (HQ: Thrissur)
  56. State animal — Indian Elephant
  57. State bird — Great Hornbill (Vezhambal)
  58. State flower — Kanikonna (Cassia fistula / Golden Shower)
  59. State tree — Coconut Palm
  60. State fish — Karimeen (Pearl Spot / Green Chromide)
  61. State fruit — Jackfruit (Chakka)
  62. State butterfly — Buddha Mayoori (Malabar Banded Peacock)
  63. National anthem first sung at — Kolkata, 1911 (not a Kerala fact, but frequently asked)
  64. Pulikali — tiger dance of Thrissur (during Onam)
  65. Yakshagana — art form of Kasaragod (shared with Karnataka)
  66. Kakkarissi Natakam — street drama form (Dalit art)
  67. Porattu Natakam — protest theatre of Kerala
  68. Kerala State Film Awards started — 1969
  69. First Kerala State Film Award for Best Film — Newspaper Boy (1955) — but awards started from 1969 onwards
  70. IFFK (International Film Festival of Kerala) — started 1996 (Thiruvananthapuram)

Politics and Administration (211-270)

  1. Kerala Legislative Assembly strength — 140 seats
  2. Lok Sabha seats from Kerala — 20
  3. Rajya Sabha seats from Kerala — 9
  4. First Chief Minister — EMS Namboodiripad (1957)
  5. First Governor — Burgula Ramakrishna Rao (1956)
  6. First woman minister — K.R. Gowri Amma (1957)
  7. Longest-serving CM — EMS Namboodiripad (approximately 5 years total)
  8. Kerala High Court established — 1956 (Ernakulam)
  9. First Chief Justice of Kerala HC — Justice K. Sankaran
  10. Number of panchayats in Kerala — 941 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats, 14 district panchayats
  11. Total local bodies — 1,200 (including 6 corporations, 87 municipalities)
  12. Kerala State Planning Board — HQ Thiruvananthapuram
  13. State Election Commission — independent body for local body elections
  14. Official language — Malayalam
  15. Kerala Administrative Service (KAS) — first batch selected 2022
  16. State Police chief designation — DGP (Director General of Police)
  17. Kerala Human Rights Commission — established 1998
  18. Lok Ayukta Act — 1999 (Kerala)
  19. Panchayati Raj in Kerala — Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994
  20. People’s Planning Campaign — 1996 (decentralized planning, EMS model)
  21. Number of Assembly seats won by LDF in 2021 — 99 (out of 140)
  22. First Indian state to achieve 100% literacy — Kerala (1991, total literacy campaign)
  23. Total Literacy Campaign started — Ernakulam (1990, first district)
  24. Kerala Library Movement — initiated by P.N. Panicker (1945)
  25. P.N. Panicker — “Father of Library Movement” in Kerala
  26. June 19 — Reading Day (P.N. Panicker’s death anniversary)
  27. Pension scheme for farmers — Karshaka Pension Scheme
  28. Kudumbashree mission launched — 1998 (largest women’s SHG network in India)
  29. KIIFB — Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board
  30. Life Mission — housing scheme (all-weather houses for homeless)
  31. State symbol — two elephants flanking the state emblem
  32. State motto — “Satyameva Jayate” (shared national motto)
  33. Vizhinjam International Seaport — under construction (Thiruvananthapuram, Adani Ports)
  34. Kochi Metro started — June 17, 2017
  35. Kannur International Airport opened — December 9, 2018
  36. Trivandrum International Airport — established 1932 (one of the oldest in India)
  37. Calicut International Airport — at Karipur (Malappuram)
  38. Kochi International Airport (CIAL) — first PPP airport in India
  39. CIAL became fully solar-powered — August 2015 (first in the world)
  40. National Waterway 3 — Kollam to Kottapuram (205 km)
  41. Literacy rate of Kerala (2011) — 93.91% (highest in India)
  42. Male literacy — 96.02%
  43. Female literacy — 91.98%
  44. Sex ratio (2011) — 1,084 females per 1,000 males (highest in India)
  45. Infant mortality rate — approximately 6 per 1,000 (among lowest in India)
  46. Life expectancy — approximately 75 years (highest among large states)
  47. Human Development Index — highest in India
  48. Kerala Model of Development — high social indicators with low per capita income
  49. Per capita income — approximately Rs 2.3 lakh (2023-24)
  50. Remittance economy — Kerala receives highest remittances from Gulf workers
  51. NORKA — Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (department for NRK welfare)
  52. Asianet — first private TV channel in Malayalam (1993)
  53. Doordarshan Malayalam — DD Malayalam
  54. Manorama Online — largest Malayalam web portal
  55. First internet cafe in Kerala — Trivandrum (1998)
  56. IT parks — Technopark (TVM), InfoPark (Kochi), Cyberpark (Kozhikode)
  57. Smart City Kochi — IT township by Dubai-based TECOM
  58. Startup Village — India’s first telecom incubator (Kochi, 2012)
  59. Responsible Tourism Mission — Kerala was a pioneer (2007)
  60. “God’s Own Country” — official tourism tagline

Economy and Agriculture (271-330)

  1. Main food crop — Rice
  2. Main cash crop — Rubber (India’s largest rubber producer)
  3. Second cash crop — Coconut
  4. Kerala produces approximately 45% of India’s rubber
  5. Spices grown — Pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric
  6. “Spice Garden of India” — Kerala
  7. Black pepper — “King of Spices” (Kerala is top producer)
  8. Cardamom — “Queen of Spices” (Idukki is main district)
  9. Kuttanad — “Rice Bowl of Kerala”
  10. Pokkali rice — salt-tolerant rice variety unique to Kerala (GI tagged)
  11. Navara rice — medicinal rice variety (GI tagged)
  12. Kaipad farming — saline-tolerant rice farming in Kannur
  13. Fisheries — Kerala is a major marine fish producer
  14. Major fishing harbours — Vizhinjam, Neendakara, Munambam, Puthiyappa, Beypore
  15. Coir industry — Alappuzha is the hub (“Coir Capital”)
  16. Coir Board HQ — Kochi
  17. Spices Board HQ — Kochi
  18. Rubber Board HQ — Kottayam
  19. Coffee Board HQ — Bangalore (not Kerala)
  20. Tea plantations — Munnar, Wayanad, Nelliampathy
  21. Cashew processing — Kollam (India’s largest)
  22. Handloom industry — Balaramapuram (Thiruvananthapuram), Kannur
  23. Bell metal industry — Mannar (Alappuzha)
  24. Bamboo industry — Angamaly
  25. Tile industry — Feroke (Kozhikode)
  26. Kerala GDP growth — approximately 4-5% (historically services-driven)
  27. Services sector share — approximately 65% of GSDP
  28. Tourism revenue — approximately Rs 45,000 crore (2023-24)
  29. Houseboat tourism — Alappuzha, Kumarakom
  30. Medical tourism — Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode
  31. Gulf migration — started 1970s oil boom; approximately 21 lakh Keralites in Gulf
  32. Major banks from Kerala — Federal Bank (Aluva), South Indian Bank (Thrissur), CSB Bank (Thrissur), ESAF Small Finance Bank, Dhanlaxmi Bank
  33. First cooperative bank in India — Anyonya Sahakari Mandali (not Kerala; but Kerala has strong cooperative movement)
  34. Kerala State Financial Enterprises (KSFE) — chit fund company
  35. Matsyafed — Kerala State Cooperative Federation for Fisheries
  36. Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation — Kollam
  37. Travancore Titanium — Thiruvananthapuram (ilmenite-based)
  38. FACT (Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore) — Kochi (Ambalamedu)
  39. KINFRA — Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation
  40. Oil Palm India Limited (OPIL) — Kerala-based
  41. Plantation crops — Rubber, tea, coffee, cardamom, coconut
  42. Animal husbandry — Vechur cow (smallest cattle breed, native to Kerala, GI tagged)
  43. Kasaragod Dwarf cattle — native breed
  44. Attappady Black goat — native breed (GI tagged)
  45. Black pepper varieties — Panniyur-1 (first hybrid, developed at Panniyur, Kannur)
  46. Coconut Research Station — Kayamkulam
  47. Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) — Kasaragod
  48. Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) — Kozhikode
  49. Kerala Agricultural University — Thrissur (Vellanikkara)
  50. Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) — Kochi
  51. National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) regional centre — Kochi
  52. Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) — Kochi
  53. Indian Institute of Management (IIM) — Kozhikode (1996)
  54. National Institute of Technology (NIT) — Calicut
  55. Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) — Thiruvananthapuram
  56. VSSC (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre) — Thiruvananthapuram
  57. Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) — established 1962
  58. First rocket launched from Thumba — November 21, 1963
  59. Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) — Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram
  60. Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) — Kochi

Education and Health (331-380)

  1. Literacy rate (2011) — 93.91%
  2. First school in Kerala — CMS College, Kottayam (1817, oldest in Asia)
  3. First college — CMS College Kottayam (1817)
  4. First engineering college — College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET, 1939)
  5. First medical college — Government Medical College Thiruvananthapuram (1951)
  6. First law college — Government Law College Ernakulam (1874)
  7. Universities in Kerala — Kerala University, MG University, Calicut University, CUSAT, Kannur University, Sanskrit University, Malayalam University, Digital University, etc.
  8. Kerala University founded — 1937
  9. MG University — Kottayam (1983)
  10. Calicut University — Malappuram (Tenhipalam, 1968)
  11. Sanskrit University — Kalady (1993)
  12. Total literacy campaign — started in Ernakulam (1989-90, Kottayam was first literate district 1989)
  13. Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) — science literacy movement
  14. KSSP motto — “Science for Social Revolution”
  15. Palliative care — Kerala has India’s best palliative care network
  16. Neighbourhood Clinics — “Ente Gramam, Ente Arogyam” concept
  17. Average life expectancy — 75+ years (comparable to developed nations)
  18. Infant mortality — among lowest in India
  19. Total fertility rate — approximately 1.6 (below replacement level)
  20. Hospital beds per 1,000 — among highest in India
  21. NRHM Kerala — National Rural Health Mission implementation
  22. Ayurveda colleges — Government Ayurveda College Thiruvananthapuram (oldest, 1889)
  23. Siddha, Ayurveda, Unani traditions — all practised in Kerala
  24. Kerala has near-universal immunisation coverage
  25. AIDS Kerala Society — KSACS (Kerala State AIDS Control Society)
  26. Mental health — Kerala has one of the highest suicide rates in India
  27. Alcohol consumption — Kerala was among highest per-capita consumers in India
  28. Anti-narcotic initiatives — VIMUKTHI programme
  29. Organ donation — Kerala has the highest organ donation rate in India
  30. First palliative care policy — Kerala (2008)
  31. Kerala Social Security Mission — for elderly and disabled
  32. Snehapoorvam scheme — scholarship for orphans
  33. Right to free education — implemented early in Kerala
  34. Samagra Shiksha Kerala — integrated school education scheme
  35. IT@School project — technology in government schools
  36. VICTERS channel — educational TV channel
  37. KITE (Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education) — manages IT in schools
  38. International School of Medicine, AIIMS — proposed in Kerala
  39. Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology — Thiruvananthapuram
  40. Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute — Thiruvananthapuram (medical devices, cardiology)
  41. RGCB — national lab under DBT
  42. Inter-University Centre for Astronomy (IUCAA) — associate centre in Kerala
  43. Kerala State Science and Technology Museum — Thiruvananthapuram
  44. Priyadarsini Planetarium — Thiruvananthapuram
  45. Cochin Science and Technology Museum — Kochi
  46. Kerala Forest Research Institute — Peechi, Thrissur
  47. Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI) — Thiruvananthapuram (Palode)
  48. National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) — Thiruvananthapuram
  49. Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) — Kozhikode
  50. Kerala School of Mathematics — medieval Kerala mathematics tradition (Madhava, Nilakantha)

Firsts and Records (381-430)

  1. First state to achieve 100% primary education — Kerala
  2. First state to implement decentralized planning — Kerala (1996)
  3. First state in India with 100% banking inclusion — Kerala
  4. First IT park in India — Technopark (1990)
  5. First fully solar-powered airport — CIAL (2015)
  6. First metro rail in Kerala — Kochi Metro (2017)
  7. First 100% literate district — Kottayam (1989, later Ernakulam completed campaign)
  8. First 100% digital banking district — Idukki (claimed by SBI)
  9. First state to have palliative care policy — Kerala (2008)
  10. First e-literate panchayat — Chamravattom (Malappuram, 2015)
  11. Highest sex ratio among states — Kerala (1,084)
  12. Highest HDI among major states — Kerala
  13. Lowest infant mortality among major states — Kerala
  14. Highest life expectancy — Kerala
  15. First cinema hall in Kerala — Jose Electric Theatre, Thrissur (1907)
  16. First municipality in Kerala — Fort Kochi (1664, under Dutch)
  17. First railway in Kerala — Shoranur-Tirur line (1861)
  18. First dam in Kerala — Mullaperiyar Dam (1895, built by British)
  19. First hydroelectric project — Pallivasal (1940, Idukki)
  20. First printing press (Malayalam) — Kottayam (CMS Press, 1821)
  21. First election after formation — 1957 (EMS Namboodiripad becomes CM)
  22. First communist government in India — Kerala (1957)
  23. First state to dismiss elected government — Kerala (1959, under Article 356)
  24. First bank in Travancore — Travancore National and Quilon Bank (1937, now merged)
  25. Oldest church in India — St. Thomas Church, Palayur (52 CE, tradition)
  26. Oldest mosque in India — Cheraman Juma Masjid, Kodungallur (629 CE, tradition)
  27. Oldest synagogue in Commonwealth — Paradesi Synagogue, Mattancherry (1568)
  28. Largest bird sculpture — Jatayu Earth’s Centre, Chadayamangalam (Kollam)
  29. First cyber police station — Thiruvananthapuram
  30. First woman DGP candidate (discussed) — R. Sreelekha IPS
  31. Largest library network — Kerala (public library movement)
  32. Wyanad first complete e-literate district — claim by KILA
  33. First complete housing district (no homeless) — ongoing mission
  34. K-FON (Kerala Fibre Optic Network) — internet as a basic right initiative
  35. Shutter-free Kerala — no shutdowns policy for shops
  36. First biosphere reserve in Kerala — Nilgiri (shared with TN, Karnataka)
  37. First Responsible Tourism state — Kerala (2007, pilot)
  38. Largest elephant gathering — Thrissur Pooram
  39. Boat races UNESCO — efforts for recognition ongoing
  40. World’s first fully computerised lottery — Kerala State Lottery (1967)
  41. Kerala State Lottery started — 1967 (first government lottery in India)
  42. Largest women’s SHG network — Kudumbashree (started 1998)
  43. First transgressive farming zone — Kuttanad (below MSL agriculture)
  44. Idukki Arch Dam — first arch dam in Asia
  45. First complete organic-farming state — Sikkim (not Kerala; Kerala pursuing similar goals)
  46. Jeevan TV — first 24-hour news channel in Malayalam (2000; Asianet News also early)
  47. First bus service in India — Trivandrum (1938, Travancore state transport)
  48. First complete mobile coverage district — Ernakulam (early claim)
  49. Best governed state awards — Kerala has won multiple governance awards
  50. First woman judge of Kerala HC — Justice Anna Chandy (1959, first in India too)

Miscellaneous Quick Facts (431-500)

  1. Kerala Population (2011) — 3,34,06,061
  2. Kerala population rank — 13th among states
  3. Decadal growth rate (2001-2011) — 4.86% (lowest in India)
  4. Density — 860 per km²
  5. Urban population — approximately 47.7%
  6. Hindu population — approximately 54.7%
  7. Muslim population — approximately 26.6%
  8. Christian population — approximately 18.4%
  9. SC population — approximately 9.1%
  10. ST population — approximately 1.5%
  11. Number of Lok Sabha constituencies — 20
  12. Number of Assembly constituencies — 140
  13. District with most Assembly seats — Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam (14 each)
  14. District with fewest Assembly seats — Wayanad (3)
  15. Kerala GSDP (2023-24) — approximately Rs 10 lakh crore
  16. Major exports — Seafood, coir, spices, cashew, rubber
  17. Major imports — Gold, petroleum products
  18. National Highway length in Kerala — approximately 1,811 km
  19. Railway zones — Southern Railway covers most of Kerala
  20. Konkan Railway — does not cover Kerala (ends at Mangalore)
  21. Thalassery is the birthplace of — cake in India (local tradition)
  22. Kozhikode is famous for — halwa, banana chips
  23. Kochi Biennale — Asia’s largest art biennale (started 2012)
  24. Raman Effect — discovered by C.V. Raman (1928, not Kerala but frequently asked)
  25. Sree Narayana Guru’s famous teaching — “One Caste, One Religion, One God for Man”
  26. Guru’s teaching on temples — “Ask not, Say not, Think not caste”
  27. World Malayalee Council — global body for Malayalees
  28. Kerala Piravi — November 1 (Kerala Day, formation anniversary)
  29. Keralappiravi celebrations started — 1956
  30. Children’s Day in Kerala — November 1 (same as Kerala Piravi)
  31. State Sports Council — HQ Thiruvananthapuram
  32. Major stadium — Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi, Kaloor)
  33. Greenfield Stadium — Thiruvananthapuram (Kariavattom)
  34. EMS Stadium — Kozhikode
  35. Jimmy George — famous volleyball player from Kerala
  36. P.T. Usha — “Payyoli Express,” sprint queen of India
  37. Anju Bobby George — long jump (World Athletics bronze, 2003)
  38. M.D. Valsamma — 400m hurdles Asian Games gold (1982)
  39. K.M. Beenamol — 800m Asian Games gold (2002)
  40. Shiny Wilson — 800m athlete, Arjuna Award
  41. T.C. Yohannan — high jumper, Asian Games gold (1982)
  42. Kerala Blasters FC — ISL football team (Kochi)
  43. Santosh Trophy — Kerala has won it multiple times
  44. Boat race is called — Vallam Kali
  45. Snake boat — Chundan Vallam
  46. Number of snake boat races — approximately 15 annually
  47. Aranmula Uthrattathi Boat Race — oldest (Pathanamthitta)
  48. Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary — Kottayam (on Vembanad Lake)
  49. Periyar Tiger Reserve — Thekkady (Idukki)
  50. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary — part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
  51. Kerala cuisine staple — Rice and coconut
  52. Appam — fermented rice pancake (signature Kerala food)
  53. Puttu — steamed rice cake with coconut
  54. Kerala Porotta — layered flatbread (GI tag discussions)
  55. Fish curry (Meen Curry) — signature non-vegetarian dish
  56. Toddy — fermented coconut palm sap
  57. Arrack — distilled toddy
  58. Payasam — Kerala dessert (Pradhaman varieties)
  59. Banana varieties — Kerala has 50+ varieties; Nendran is most famous
  60. Jackfruit products — chakka varattiyathu, chips, halwa
  61. Christmas is widely celebrated in — all districts (18.4% Christian population)
  62. Bakrid/Eid — large celebrations especially in Malappuram, Kozhikode
  63. Attukal Pongala — Thiruvananthapuram (largest gathering of women, Guinness Record)
  64. Makaravilakku — Sabarimala (Makara Jyothi on Makar Sankranti)
  65. Sabarimala season — November to January (Mandalam and Makaravilakku)
  66. Nilambur to Shoranur — first railway line in Malabar area
  67. Coconut Development Board HQ — Kochi
  68. National Institute of Fisheries Post Harvest Technology (NIFPHATT) — Kochi
  69. Indian Navy Southern Naval Command — Kochi
  70. Southern Air Command (IAF) — Thiruvananthapuram

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