J Alexander

Joseph Alexander (8 August 1938 – 14 January 2022) was an Indian bureaucrat and politician who served as Chief Secretary and Cabinet Minister, Karnataka State. He was the first Indian Administrative Service officer to serve as a minister in the State.

Early life Alexander was born in Mangad, in Kollam District of Kerala State on 8 August 1938 in a middle-class family; one out of seven children of John Joseph and Elizabeth Joseph. His early education was in Kollam until he finished B.A in English Language and Literature. He did his M.A in English Literature from University College, Trivandrum and did his PhD in Philosophy from Karnataka University.

After 10th examination he went to church in Kollam city to become the priest. After 2 years of completing the process of becoming priest his relative who was one of the senior father in church advised him to continue the study by seeing his academic excellence, later his principal Mr Ramaiiya motivated him to study for the IAS examination and also he provided related books. J Alexander later cracked the IAS examination successfully.

Career Alexander started his career as a lecturer in English in Fatima Mata National College, Kollam and joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1963, where he was allotted to Karnataka State cadre.

After retirement from the civil service, he joined the Indian National Congress, and contested elections to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. He became a member of the Legislative Assembly from Bharathi Nagar (presently Sarvagnanagar) in Bangalore, and became a cabinet minister for tourism in S. M. Krishna Ministry.

He served as president of Bangalore City YMCA for more than 30 years. He was also advisory board member in Global Organization of People of Indian Origin(GOPIO), board of governors of Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Bangalore and chairman of its branch in KOCHI, Kerala.

J Alexander and Karnataka DG& IGP Shankar Bidari both were giving guest lectures at Vedhik IAS Academy in Cochin Kerala.

Personal life and death Alexander was married to Delfin Alexander, with whom he had two sons. He died from a heart attack at a hospital in Bangalore, on 14 January 2022, at the age of 83, due to COVID-19.

After the death IAS officer Lakshminarayan, IPS officer Shankar Bidari Educationist Abraham Ebenezer, Rajendra who was Alexander's close associated and others all together founded J Alexander Foundation . Through this foundation the social activities are being organised.