KIRTADS in Kozhikode

The Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Tribes (KIRTADS) is a government organization which works for the development of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes of the state by engaging in research, and undertaking studies to identify the problems faced by them. Originally established in 1972 as the Tribal Research and Training Centre, it gives various recommendations on how to uplift these communities.

KIRTADS has three departments - Training, Research and Development Studies. Together, they protect and catalogue tribal history, help educate students, and conduct elaborate studies in order to recommend measures to ensure that proper policy decisions are made. Located in Chevayur, it also houses a comprehensive Reference Library with books on Anthropology and Sociology, an Ethnological Museum, and a Documentation Centre of the Art Forms of Scheduled communities.

While the museum showcases some of the finest artefacts in tribal history, there is a plethora of other exhibits here as well. These include costumes, jewellery, household utensils, nets and traps, bows and arrows, musical instruments, wood carvings, models of huts, medicinal plant specimens, agricultural tools and ceremonial paraphernalia belonging to tribal communities across the state. All these have greatly aided researchers in understanding the ethos of these communities. The Institute aims at promoting and reviving many old and indigenous art forms, and ensuring that these aspects of Kerala culture will never fade from collective memory.