Categories of documents

Classification of Records 

For determining the periods of preservation, records are classi­fied as follows.

CLASS 'A'- Permanent records: 

Records required to be kept permanently for historical importance, for administrative purposes, or for research purposes will be classified under this category. Such records are so important that its original should be preserved intact and access to it in the original form must be restricted to the minimum. If materials in it are likely to be required for frequent references such records may be got printed or microfilmed.

The instructions issued by the National Archives is observed for treating the records as genuine sources of information on any aspect of history-political, social, economic etc or are considered to be of biographical or antiquarian interest, and for handing over such records to them. No records are handed over to the Natio­nal Archives without obtaining prior approval of the Secretary /Government of India.

Records fit for permanent preservation are illustrated under-

Records of value for administrative purposes 

i) Papers regarding Constitution, functions, and salient features of the working of the organization and its offices, committees and working groups etc.

ii) Papers relating to major policy decisions, including those relating to enactment/amendment of Acts and Rules and important decisions of Government.

iii) Minutes of the Board Meetings.

iv) Papers containing title deeds of properties or other perma­nent assets acquired or relinquished.

v) Papers concerning rules, regulations, departmental instruct­ions etc.

Records of value for historical importance 

Much of the material likely to be preserved for administrative purposes will be of interest for historical research purposes as well, but the following categories should be specially considered as of value to historians

i) Papers relating to more important aspects of scientific or technical research and development.

ii) Papers relating to the origin of the organization, how organized, how functioned and (if defunct) how it was dissolved.

iii) Papers relating to policy decision, change in policy decisions and implementation of it.

  1. Papers relating to developmental schemes and other measures adopted to increase production and productivity of spices.

Records of value for scientific reference 

  1. Papers on research projects undertaken and the end results achieved.

ii) Papers relating to obsolete research activities or investigations or to abortive projects/schemes in important fields.

iii) Papers on research activities dropped, abandoned and deferred.

CLASS 'B':Records of semi-permanent character to be preserved for longer periods exceeding 10 years.

CLASS 'C': Records of secondary importance to be preserved for limited periods not exceeding 10 years

Records to be preserved for period not exceeding one year are referred to as records of ephemeral nature.

Important records held by the Spices Board.

Administration  Department 

1.Service records of employees
2.Property records
3.Asset registers
4.Documents relating to hired accommodations
 5.Records relating to disciplinary proceedings.

6. Annual Performance Appraisal Reports 7. Property Returns filed by staff & officers

8.Bank guarantee register and bank guarantees

9.Board Minutes, Agenda Notes etc.

Accounts Department 

1) Information on 5 year Plan allocations, Annual Plan allocations, approved Budget allocations     etc. for various schemes, programmes and projects.

2) Information on up to date expenditure for various schemes being implemented by different departments.

3) Annual Budget proposals presented to the Board and the Govt. and approvals received on the same.

4) Statement of assets and liabilities of the Board for the year under report and also for previous years.

5) Information on payments made to various beneficiaries under different schemes being     implemented by the Board.

6)Details on payments of bills received for purchase of goods and materials and services     contracted and received.

7) Information on internal and extra budgetary resources generated by the Board under various heads.

8)Information on Plan and Non-Plan funds received during the year utilized up to date and balances held.

9) Reports on audits conducted by the Accountant General, Kerala//Principal Director of Audit and the audit observations there on.

10)Final Accounts of the Board including Receipts and Payments Accounts, Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet from the inception of the Board.

11)Information on salary, allowances and advances paid to the employees of the Board from time to time.

12)Information on pension paid to retired employees and family pensions etc.

13) Cash book and vouchers.

14)Ledgers, journals etc.

Development Department 

Director`s office

1. Files relating to formulation of schemes and scheme Rules

2.Rules for implementation of various subsidy schemes.

Regional Offices /Divisional offices 

  1. Leave Register

  2. Telephone Register

  3. Register showing cost of petrol, oil, lubricants etc. consumed (Fuel Consumption Register)

  4. Stamp account & Despatch Register

  5. Local Delivery Register

  6. Inspection Register.

  7. Register of unserviceable spare parts of jeeps, etc.

  8. Vehicle maintenance Register

  9. Visitors' Register

  10. File Register

  11. File Movement Register

  12. Work diary of staff individually maintained.

  13. Subsidy application Register (various schemes)

  14. Asset Register

  15. Register of receipt/cheque book

  16. Register of Travelling Allowance advance/Travelling Allowance bills

  17. Contingent Advance Register.

  18. Inward register

  19. Staff movement register

  20. Imprest cash book

  21. Asset register

  22. Stationery stock register

  23. Consumable items register

  24. Bank account

  25. Receipt book

  26. Cheque issue register /bill register

  27. Payment voucher register

  28. Register of advances and settlement of advances

  29. Journals vouchers

  30. Paid bills and vouchers

  31. Abstract of cash book

Field offices


  1. Inward register

  2. Despatch register

  3. Stamp account register

  4. Staff movement register

  5. Imprest cash book

  6. Asset register

  7. Stationery stock register

  8. Consumable items register

  9. Bank account

  10. Receipt book

  11. Work diary of staff individually maintained

  12. Application received register for each scheme

  13. Application recommended register for each scheme

  14. Monthly expenditure statement

  15. Bank Reconciliation statement

  16. Vehicle performance report

  17. Monthly progress report of schemes

Marketing Department

The specific records pertaining to the department are maintained in the system and reports are generated from the system. Important items include the following.

  1. Bank guarantee Register

  2. Register for watching fulfillment of export obligation

  3. Sample receipt register

  4. Sampling register

  5. Stuffing register

  6. Mandatory sampling analytical report register

  7. Customer samples cheque/demand draft /cash register.

  8. Local samples received register

  9. Files relating to formulation of schemes and scheme Rules

  10. Rules for implementation of various subsidy schemes.

Trade Information Service (under Marketing Department)

Files on Correspondence with DGCI&S, DGFT, IPC, ITC, Customs, etc. regarding Export/Import statistics of spices;

  1. Files on State/District-wise Area and Production details of various spices, collected from various     Agencies;

  2. Data regarding Daily, Weekly and Monthly prices of major spices in the domestic and international markets;

  3. Data regarding World Area and production of major spices;

  4. Compilation of Returns from the exporters;

  5. Data regarding Dissemination of information on trade and spices statistics

Research Department 

  1. Field Note book, project registers pertaining to each project by individual scientists.

  2. Project registers, stock registers pertaining to external funded projects.

  3. Cardamom germ plasm register.

  4. Cash book

  5. Ledger

  6. Cheque register

  7. Receipt register

  8. Central asset register

  9. Inward register

  10. Despatch register

  11. Fuel stock register

  12. Stationery stock register

  13. Central computer asset register

  14. Stock register of chemicals, glass wares, rectified spirit, bio agents etc

  15. Register of consumables.

  16. Library register

  17. Attendance register

  18. Vehicle stock register

  19. Plantation visit register

  20. Register for advisory services

  21. Visitor`s register

  22. Division asset register

  23. Division stock register for consumables.

  24. Attendance register for labourers.

  25. Daily labour report (DLR)

  26. Stock register for farm inputs.

  27. Stock register for farm produce.

  28. Sunday clinic register.

  29. Stock register for assets (farm).

  30. Fuel register

  31. Overtime register (OT) for farm labourers.

  32. Overtime register (OT) for Cardamom curing.

  33. Engineering wing stock register.

  34. Register for leave with wages.

  35. Register for LIC premium deductions.

  36. Register for sick leave.

  37. Register of labourers including PF A/c No.

Quality Evaluation Laboratory 

    1. Document movement register

    2. Issue register for standards

    3. Register for annual maintenance contract

    4. Register for control of gas cylinder

    5. Inventory of laboratory equipments

    6. Instrument performance register

    7. Maintenance control register

    8. Issue register for chemicals/ filter paper

    9. Issue register for bonded chemicals

    10. Breakage register for glassware

    11. Movement register for master sets

    12. Register for standard stock cultures.

    13. Master list of documents

    14. Agenda of management review meetings

    15. List of equipments to be calibrated in Chemistry lab

    16. List of equipments to be calibrated in Residue lab

    17. List of equipments to be calibrated in Microbiology lab

    18. MOL distribution list

    19. MOA distribution list

    20. MOC distribution list

Planning & Coordination Division

1) Files relating to Parliament Questions & Answers;

2) Files relating to VIP References;

3) Files relating to Budget proposals, Annual plans and Five-year plan proposals;

4) The Reports of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce and

Prabhu Committee Report.

5) Files relating to Geographical indications of Goods

6) Files relating to Right to Information Act, 2005 and implementation thereof

7) Files relating to Monthly Progress Reports and Annual Reports.