Photo Credit: Indiatimes

Among the nine new ministers to be inducted into the Cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kerala’s Alphons Kannanthanam is a surprise pick.

Kannanthanam is a distinguished former IAS officer of the 1979 batch, Kerala cadre. He is also a practising advocate.

Alphons Kannanthanam rose to fame as Delhi's Demolition Man when he was Commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority, having cleared DDA areas of encroachment removing around 15,000 illegal buildings. This got him listed in Time Magazine's list of 100 Young Global Leaders in 1994.

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Born in a non-electrified Manimala village in Kottayam district to a World War 2 veteran, he pioneered the literacy movement in India as District Collector of Kottayam by making it the first 100% literate town in India in 1989.

Alphons Kannanthanam set up Janshakti, an NGO in 1994, to get citizens to believe in their ability to make government accountable to people.

Alphons Kannanthanam retired from the IAS, to get elected as an Independent Member of Legislative Assembly for Kanjirappally in Kerala from 2006 to 2011.



He is a Member of the Committee to prepare the final draft of the National Education Policy 2017.

Alphons Kannanthanam has authored a best-selling book “Making A Difference.”