District Profile
Thiruvananthapuram, the State capital, is the southernmost district of the State of Kerala. The district was created in 1949, with its headquarters in the city of Thiruvananthapuram. The present district was created in 1956 by separating the four southernmost taluks of the erstwhile district which are now part of Kanyakumari district.
Thiruvananthapuram district is situated between the north latitudes 8o 17' and 8o 54' and east longitudes 76o 41' and 77o 17'. The district boundaries are Kollam district in the north, Tirunelveli district in the east, Kanyakumari district in the south, and Arabian Sea in the west.
Demography
According to the 2011 Census, Thiruvananthapuram has a population of 3,301,427, of which male and female are 1,581,678 and 1,719,749 respectively. The district population constitutes 9.88 per cent of the State population. Population density of the district is 1508 inhabitants per sq. km. The rate of population growth over the decade 2001-2011 was 2.07 per cent. The district has a sex ratio of 1087 females for every 1000 males and the literacy rate is 93.02 per cent.
| Description | Census 2011 |
| Population | Total |
| Persons | 3,301,427 |
| Males | 1,581,678 |
| Females | 1,719,749 |
| Density of Population | 1508 |
| Sex Ratio | 1087 |
| Adult Sex Ratio | 1,087 |
| Child Sex Ratio | 964 |
| Literacy Rate | 93 |
Administration
The headquarters of the district administration is at Kudappanakkunnu, Thiruvananthapuram. The district administration is headed by the District Collector and he is assisted by five deputy collectors. There are two revenue divisions in the district. There are six taluks and 124 Villages. There are two Parliament Constituencies and 14 Legislative Assembly Constituencies.
| Units | Number |
| Revenue Divisions | 2 |
| Taluks | 6 |
| Villages | 124 |
| District Panchayat | 1 |
| Corporations | 1 |
| Municipalities | 4 |
| Block Panchayats | 11 |
| Grama Panchayats | 73 |
Geography
The district stretches along the shores of Arabian Sea for a distance of 78 km. On geographical basis, the district can be divided into three regions – highland, midland and lowland. Thiruvananthapuram, Chirayinkeezhu and Varkala taluks lie in the midland and lowland regions. Nedumangad taluk and Kattakadataluk lie in the midland and highland regions, while Neyattinkara taluk extends to all the three regions.
Brief history
The name Thiruvananthapuram means the abode of sacred snake ‘Ananthan’. The modern era begins with Marthanda Varma, the founder of modern Travancore. The beginning of English education by opening of an English School and setting up of an observatory and charity hospital during the period of Swathi Thirunal are landmark events in the history of the district. One of the significant contributions of Sri Moolam Thirunal was the inauguration of the Legislative Council in 1888, the first Legislative Chamber in an Indian State.
Agriculture
The total geographical area of the district is 2,192 sq. km. More than 15 per cent of the total population of the district depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Paddy is the most important crop cultivated in the wet lands. In garden lands, coconut, rubber, banana and vegetables are the main crops. The fisheries sector has importance in the district due to the 78 km long coastal line, reservoirs and inland water bodies.
Land Utilisation (in hectares)
| Forest | 49,861 |
| Land put to non-agriculture uses | 29,834 |
| Barren and uncultivable land | 140 |
| Land under miscellaneous tree crops | 36 |
| Fallow other than current fallow | 331 |
| Current fallow | 3,133 |
| Marshy land | 8 |
| Still water | 4,342 |
| Water logged area | 94 |
| Social forestry | 58 |
| Net area sown | 1,30,758 |
| Cultivable waste | 186 |
| Total geographical area in hectares | 2,18,781 |
Members of Parliament
Thiruvananthapuram district serves as the nodal district of four Members of Parliament - Two from LokSabha and two from Rajya Sabha. They are:
- Dr Shashi Tharoor MP (Lok Sabha-Thiruvananthapuram)
- Adv Adoor Prakash (Lok Sabha- Attingal)
- Sri Binoy Viswam (Rajya Sabha)
- Sri Suresh Gopi (Rajya Sabha - nominated) and
- Sri John Brittas (Rajya Sabha)
Legislative Assembly Constituencies in the District
| Sl. No |
Name of MLA | Name of LAC |
| 1 | Sri V Joy | Varkala |
| 2 | Smt O.S Ambika | Attingal |
| 3 | Sri V Sasi | Chirayinkeezhu |
| 4 | Sri G.R Anil | Nedumangadu |
| 5 | Sri D K Murali | Vamanapuram |
| 6 | Sri Kadakampally Surendran | Kazhakoottam |
| 7 | Sri V K Prasanth | Vattiyoorkavu |
| 8 | Sri Antony Raju | Thiruvananthapuram |
| 9 | Sri Sivankutty | Nemom |
| 10 | Sri G. Stephen | Aruvikkara |
| 11 | Sri C K Hareendran | Parassala |
| 12 | Sri I B Satheesh | Kattakada |
| 13 | Sri M Vincent | Kovalam |
| 14 | Sri K Ansalan | Neyyattinkara |
Education, Science and Technology
Thiruvananthapuram is an academic hub. The University of Kerala, the regional headquarters of Indira Gandhi National Open University, fifteen engineering colleges, three medical colleges, three Ayurveda colleges, two Homeopathy colleges, six other medical related colleges, and two law colleges are located in the district. Major science and technology institutions in Thiruvananthapuram are:
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research
- Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
- Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC)
- Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS)
- Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST)
- Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB)
- Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI)
- ER and DC – Centre for Development of Advanced Computing
- CSIR – National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology
- Free Software Foundation of India (FSFI)
- Regional Cancer Centre (RCC)
- Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST)
- National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS)
- Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI)
- Kerala Science and Technology Museum
- Priyadarsini Planetarium
- Kerala Highway Research Institute
