Former Karnataka chief secretary and Congress leader J Alexander passed away Friday. He was 83. He was being treated at a hospital in the city due to illness. His last rites will be performed on Saturday. He is survived by two children and four grandchildren. Originally from Kerala, Alexander joined the IAS in 1963 with Karnataka as his cadre. He rose to become chief secretary in 1992. He later joined the Congress and was elected as MLA from the erstwhile Bharatinagar constituency in Bengaluru.
He was the tourism minister in the SM Krishna government. In 2019, Alexander resigned from the Congress, reportedly upset with the party’s neglect towards Christians. However, he stayed on after being convinced by senior leaders. He was also : Chief Executive of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, Chairman and Managing Director, Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilizers, Mangalore, and chairman of several other enterprises. Finally, he was Chief Secretary(CEO), of the State of Karnataka.His early education was in Kollam until he finished B.A in English Language and Literature. Did his M.A in English Literature from University College, Trivandrum and did his Ph.D in Philosophy from Karnataka University.