Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam is an Indian advocate, politician and former civil servant. As a civil servant, he served the state in multiple capacities, including as Commissioner, Delhi Development Authority. In September 2017, he became the Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, making him the second BJP member from Kerala to serve in the central government.
Wiki/Biography
Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam was born on Saturday, August 8, 1953, in Manimala, Kottayam District, Kerala State (age 70; as of 2023). His zodiac sign is Leo. Alphonse received his early education at a Malayalam village school near Manimala. In 1977, he studied for a master’s degree in economics at Northeastern Hills University in Shillong. While serving as Commissioner of Delhi Development Authority, he obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from Delhi University in 1996.
family
Parents and siblings
His father, KV Joseph, was a World War II veteran who became a school teacher after the war, and his mother, Brijith Joseph, was a humanitarian activist. She funded the education of many children and built houses for the poor. Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam has five sisters, Jolly, Mercy, Cissy, Sophy and Preetha; four brothers, Alphons, Raju, Roy and George. His parents adopted two more children, Paul and Minnie.
Alphons Kannanthanam (right) and his brother
wife and children
Alphons Kannanthanam married Sheela Alphons on 26 October 1981. Sheela is a housewife. The couple has 2 sons, entrepreneur, artist and philanthropist Adarsh Alphons and Akash Alphons.
Alphons Kannanthanam (center) with wife and son Akash during vacation
religion
Alphons Kannanthanam is a Christian.
address
HN 1/485A, New 428, Kannanthanam House, PO – Manimala District – Kottayam (Kerala)
sign
Profession
indian administrative services
Alphons Kannanthanam joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1979 and served for 27 years. As a civil servant, he was known as the “demolition man” during his tenure as Delhi Development Authority chief; he reclaimed over 1,100 acres of DDA land worth over Rs 10,000 crore. According to reports, he demolished more than 14,000 illegal buildings. In 2006, he resigned as an IAS officer and joined politics.
politics
Alphons Kannanthanam started his political career in 2006 as a CPI(M)-backed independent MP from Kerala. On March 24, 2011, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2017, he was appointed Minister of State of the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Minister of State of the Ministry of Tourism (independently responsible). On November 9, 2017, Alphonse was elected to the Rajya Sabha without any objection. Alphons Kannanthanam contested the 2019 Indian general elections as the National Democratic Alliance candidate from Ernakulam constituency but failed.
Alphons Kannanthanam gave a speech
Assets and property
movable property
- Bank Deposit: Rs. 76,94,781
- Motor Vehicles: Rs. 8,00,000
- Bonds, debentures and stocks: Rs. 3,26,11,566
- Other assets (e.g. value of claims/equities): Rs. 10,00,000
real estate
- Agricultural land: Rs 4,12,48,980
Note: The movable and immovable property estimates given are for 2018 and do not include assets owned by his wife.
net worth
Alphons Kannanthanam’s net worth for the financial year 2017-18 is estimated to be Rs. 8 Crores. This does not include his wife’s net worth.
dispute
BJP uses death of Javanese for propaganda
Alphonse Kannanthanan was heavily criticized on social media after he uploaded a selfie with a soldier’s coffin after the Pulwama attack in 2019, with many netizens saying the BJP was taking advantage of Javansh’s death Promote it.
Union minister and senior BJP leader Alphons Kannanthanam poses with the coffin of a soldier killed in Pulwama.
Another example of the BJP exploiting the death of a Javanese for propaganda purposes. pic.twitter.com/SykXIV6zZr
— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) February 17, 2019
Responding to the controversy, Alphonse said he would not click selfies and said,
I don’t take selfies, and I haven’t taken one so far. Chin’s final rites were broadcast live by some media outlets. What is clear is that I am a man who has held various positions over the past 40 years. I served people in the slum areas of Delhi but not in any capacity. My father is also a soldier. So I can understand the sacrifice of Indian soldiers and instead of creating unnecessary controversy, the younger generation should work hard for the development of the country.”
Kerala Bar Council suspends Alphons Kannanthanam
In November 2010, the Bar Council of Kerala (BCK) found Alphons Kannanthanam guilty of professional misconduct and suspended him. He was suspended for 6 months. The committee stated,
He converted his sole proprietorship into a private limited company and became the chairman of the company, receiving an income of Rs 25,000 per month from the company and 15% of the company’s income. He should be disbarred but should also be given the opportunity to cease his practice within six months and continue to practice law if he so chooses. “
car collection
Alphons Kannanthanam owns a Nissan 2013 model.
Facts/Trivia
- He was one of the top scorers in the 1979 Civil Service Examination.
- In 2019, Alphons Kannanthanam launched the country’s first tribal tourism circuit in Gangrel in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh.
Alphons Kannanthanam (far right) inaugurates the Gangrel Tribal Tourist Route
- He is the first BJP leader from Kerala to get a ministerial post.
- In 1994, he was selected as one of the 100 Young Global Leaders by Time magazine.
- The principal of a Malayalam secondary school has warned the parents of Alphons Kannanthanam that he will not pass the Class 10 board examination. Speaking about the incident in an interview, he said,
I was a stupid kid in school: I was the stupidest. I never won a prize in school. My matriculation score was 42%, which was excellent. Everyone said I was good for nothing. “
- Alphonse is the author of Change the World, Above the Shadow of the Mountain: A Journey of Hope and Adventure Inspired by the Forsaken, and Follow in My Footsteps: A Journey of Adventure, Disaster, and Redemption Inspired by the Plight of the Forgotten, among others. Book. -Risk Girl. ”
Alphons Kannanthanam presents his book to Amit Shah
- In 2018, when Kerala was hit by catastrophic floods, he accidentally created a Twitter meme called #KannathanamSleepChallenge when he posted a photo of himself sleeping in a relief camp
When you’re texting at 2 a.m. and your mom bursts into the room#KannathanamSleepChallenge#popular @alphonstourism pic.twitter.com/ZJ7spvwnGb
— aмal ĸrιѕнnan (@marchformass) August 21, 2018
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education