
Former Additional Chief Secretary PH Kurian, a 1986-batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, died on Wednesday at a private hospital after undergoing treatment for cancer. He was 67.
Former Additional Chief Secretary PH Kurian, a 1986-batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, died on Wednesday at a private hospital after undergoing treatment for cancer. He was 67.

Kurian served as Principal Secretary in the Revenue, Industries and IT departments and held several other posts including District Collector, Labour Commissioner, and Special Secretary. He played a key role in formulating Kerala's startup policy and served as Executive Vice President of the Department of Science and Technology from December 7, 2018.
Born on January 20, 1959, Kurian held a degree in chemistry. His last rites will be held on Saturday in his hometown of Pampady in Kottayam.
Kurian's death removes a senior technocrat who was central to Kerala's push for a startup ecosystem at a time when the state was competing with Bengaluru and Hyderabad for tech investment. Under the state's 2017 startup policy, which he helped draft, Kerala established the Kerala Startup Mission and targeted creating 15,000 startups by 2023. His previous tenure as Revenue Secretary also saw him manage land allocation for industrial corridors in the state. The government now faces the task of finding a replacement with comparable experience in both IT and revenue administration to lead the science and technology department.
Source: english.mathrubhumi.com
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