THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Retired bureaucrat and former Additional Chief Secretary with Kerala government, and Ex. Patent controller General of India PH Kurian passed away on Wednesday. The funeral will be held on Saturday in Kottayam, Kerala.
Kurian (67), an Indian Administrative Service officer from the 1986 Kerala cadre, served in various capacities, including District Collector, Labour Commissioner, Project Director, Managing Director of the Kerala State Industries Development Corporation (KSIDC), Principal Secretary of Industries and Revenue departments, has also served as the executive vice-president of the Science and Technology Department since December 2018 and was actively involved in promoting of IT start-ups in the state.
During the 2009-10 period, Kurian was recognised as one of the 50 most influential personalities in the field of intellectual properties.
As a senior bureaucrat Kurian has had a wide-ranging career in public administration, industrial development, information technology, intellectual property, revenue, disaster management, environment and regulatory affairs. With an academic background in Chemistry and research experience at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, he brought a technical and policy-oriented perspective to his administrative assignments.
His tenure in the IT sector coincided with significant developments in Kerala's e-governance initiatives, digital infrastructure and the expansion of the Akshaya network, which sought to improve citizens' access to technology and government services.
At the national level, Kurian served as Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks. His tenure is particularly associated with the landmark 2012 decision granting a compulsory licence for Bayer's cancer drug Nexavar to Natco Pharma. The decision attracted national and international attention because it addressed the balance between patent protection and access to affordable medicines and became an important reference point in India's intellectual-property policy.
On returning to Kerala, Kurian served in senior administrative positions. His work during this period included policy formulation, land and revenue administration, disaster preparedness, environmental matters and institutional measures for strengthening resilience to disasters and climate-related risks.
After retirement from the IAS, Kurian took on a significant regulatory role as Chairman of the Kerala Real Estate Regulatory Authority. In this position, he has been involved in implementing the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act and overseeing the regulation of real-estate projects, promoters and agents, with particular emphasis on transparency, compliance and protection of homebuyers.
Kurian's career reflects extensive experience in both traditional administration and specialised areas of public policy. His professional profile is distinguished by his involvement in technology and e-governance, industrial development, intellectual-property administration, revenue and disaster management, and real-estate regulation. His career demonstrates a combination of administrative experience, technical understanding and regulatory responsibilities at both the state and national levels.
