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Alphons Kannanthanam Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth8 August 1953

Age71 Years

BirthplaceManimala, Kottayam District, Kerala

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseSheela Alphons

FamilyTwo sons: Adarsh Alphons and Akash Alphons

Net worthRs. 8 Crores (as in 2017)

Alphons Kannanthanam Biography

Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam is an Indian politician and former civil servant from Kerala. A 1979 recruit to the Indian Administrative Service, he later led

Early life and background

Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam was born on 8 August 1953 in Manimala in Kottayam district, Kerala. Raised in a family with a father who served in World War II and later worked as a teacher, he completed his early schooling in a Malayalam-medium village school near Manimala. He went on to earn a master's degree in economics from North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, and later completed an LLB from Delhi University in the 1990s while holding senior administrative posts.

Career

Kannanthanam entered the Indian Administrative Service in 1979 after ranking eighth in the UPSC examination. Over a 27-year career in the civil service he served in a variety of roles, including a notable tenure as Kottayam district collector where he launched a literacy campaign credited with helping the district achieve 100 percent literacy. In the 1990s he was appointed commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority and drew wide attention for a large-scale demolition drive that removed thousands of illegal structures and reclaimed substantial land value.

After leaving the civil service in 2006, Kannanthanam moved into electoral politics. That year he won a seat in the Kerala Legislative Assembly as an independent candidate supported by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in March 2011.

At the national level, he took on several responsibilities. In June 2017 he was named to the committee tasked with preparing the final draft of India’s National Education Policy. Following a cabinet reshuffle in September 2017 he was appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and was given independent charge as Minister of State for the Ministry of Tourism. In November 2017 he secured a Rajya Sabha seat from Rajasthan after the vacancy created by Venkaiah Naidu’s elevation to the vice presidency.

Kannanthanam contested the 2019 general election as the National Democratic Alliance candidate in Ernakulam but did not win.

Public profile

Kannanthanam’s public life has combined administrative reputation and political engagement. His record as an administrator — especially the literacy drive in Kottayam and the large-scale enforcement action in Delhi — helped build a profile that carried over into politics. He has written and published several books, including titles listed as Badlav Ke Liye (1998), India Mattathinte Muzhakkam (2016), and Accelerating India: 7 Years of Modi Government (2022).

Personal life

Alphons Kannanthanam is married to Sheela Alphons; the couple wed on 26 October 1981 and have two sons, Adarsh Alphons and Akash Alphons. He is identified with the Christian faith and is known to come from the central Travancore region of Kerala.

Controversies and professional matters

His public career has seen moments of controversy. In November 2010 the Bar Council of Kerala suspended him from legal practice for six months following findings of professional misconduct related to his involvement with a private company. Another episode that drew criticism occurred after the 2019 Pulwama attack when a photograph he posted was criticized on social media; he later disputed characterizations of the image.

Latest updates

Kannanthanam continued to be active in national politics through the late 2010s. He served as minister of state with responsibilities spanning information technology and tourism in 2017 and represented Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha beginning that same year. He remained visible through published work and electoral participation, including the 2019 Lok Sabha campaign from Ernakulam.
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Recent Work

Accelerating India: 7 Years of Modi Government

Book by Alphons Kannanthanam published in 2022

2022
India Mattathinte Muzhakkam

Book by Alphons Kannanthanam

2016
Badlav Ke Liye

Book by Alphons Kannanthanam

1998
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1979 and served for 27 years
  2. As Kottayam district collector, led a literacy campaign that helped the district achieve full literacy
  3. Commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority in the 1990s, overseeing large-scale demolition of illegal structures
  4. Elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 2006 as an independent backed by CPI(M)
  5. Joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in March 2011
  6. Appointed to the National Education Policy drafting committee in June 2017
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Net Worth

Rs. 8 Crores (as in 2017)

Figures are editorial estimates based on publicly available reporting and may change as new information emerges.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Alphons Kannanthanam born?

8 August 1953

What is Alphons Kannanthanam known for?

Politician

What is Alphons Kannanthanam’s marital status?

Married

Who is Alphons Kannanthanam married to?

Sheela Alphons

What is Alphons Kannanthanam’s net worth?

Rs. 8 Crores (as in 2017)