K. M. Abraham (civil servant)
Kandathil Mathew Abraham | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 3, 1958 India |
| Occupation(s) | Retired Indian Administrative Service officer, Bureaucrat |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Known for | Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala, CEO of Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, uncovering Sahara Group Scam |
Kandathil Mathew Abraham (born 3 May 1958) is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and seasoned bureaucrat, presently appointed as the Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala. He also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and acts as the Executive Vice Chairperson for the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council. Abraham concluded his tenure as Kerala's Chief Secretary in December 2017. As a member of the 1982 IAS cohort, he was instrumental in uncovering the Sahara Group Scam during his assignment at the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
Education
Abraham earned a Bachelor of Technology degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Kerala, followed by a Master of Technology in Industrial Management from IIT Kanpur. He completed his doctoral studies in Technology Policy through the Urban, Technology and Environment Program (UTEP) at the University of Michigan.
In addition, he is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds the Licensed International Financial Analyst (LIFA) certification. He also obtained a Diploma in Business Finance from ICFAI, Hyderabad.
Furthermore, Abraham has pursued various online courses covering topics such as Neural Networks, Deep Learning, Probabilistic Graphical Models, Machine Learning, Big Data technologies including Hadoop, as well as programming languages like R and Python.
Early career
Abraham's professional journey commenced as a Lecturer in Civil Engineering at TKM College of Engineering, affiliated with the University of Kerala. He entered the IAS in 1982, initially serving as Assistant Collector (Under Training) in Kollam district, followed by appointments as Sub Collector in both Ernakulam district and Thiruvananthapuram district.
District Collector
Between 1994 and 1996, he held the position of District Collector for Alappuzha district and later for Ernakulam district. During this period, he also briefly acted as Mayor of the Kochi Municipal Corporation.
Secretary in Finance Department
From 1996 until 2002, Abraham was appointed Secretary within the Finance Department. In this capacity, he led the Modernizing Government Programme (MGP), recognized as India’s inaugural comprehensive state-level reform initiative targeting governance and fiscal management. This program received funding from the Asian Development Bank alongside support from the governments of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Among his achievements was designing Management Information Systems tailored for state budgetary and treasury functions. Additionally, he authored the foundational legislation for establishing the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund in 1999, which laid groundwork for what would become KIIFB.
Professor of Finance, Asian School of Business
In 2006, Abraham took a sabbatical year to serve as Professor of Finance at the Asian School of Business located in Thiruvananthapuram.
Visiting Faculty, IIT Kanpur
From 2003 to 2007, he was engaged as Visiting Faculty specializing in Industrial Management and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.
Secretary/Principal Secretary
Prior to his tenure at the Securities and Exchange Board of India, he held various Secretary-level positions across departments including Higher Education; Revenue and Food and Civil Supplies; as well as Personnel & Administrative Reforms.
Whole Time Member – SEBI
Between 2008 and 2011, Abraham held the position of Whole Time Member at SEBI. He uncovered financial misconduct involving Sahara India Pariwar, which resulted in a Supreme Court verdict affirming his findings. By March 2021, SEBI had successfully recovered ₹15,473 crore out of the ₹23,000 crore penalty imposed on Sahara Group entities—marking the largest financial penalty in India's market history. During his tenure, he managed the Secondary Markets, Investigation and Surveillance, and International Affairs departments.
Additional Chief Secretary – Higher Education
From 2011 to 2014, he functioned as Additional Chief Secretary for Higher Education.
Within this timeframe, the Additional Skills Acquisition Programme (ASAP), the most extensive skilling initiative in colleges and schools supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), was introduced.
He was responsible for drafting legislation that provided autonomy to 23 colleges across Kerala under this scheme.
Notable initiatives launched under his guidance include Fostering Linkages in Academic Innovation and Research (FLAIR), Walk with a Scholar (WWS), and Honors Programs at the undergraduate level in subjects such as English, Mathematics, Economics, and Commerce.
Additionally, he held the office of Vice Chancellor at four universities: Kerala University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), and Kannur University.
Additional Chief Secretary – Social Justice
From 2012 to 2014, he simultaneously served as Additional Chief Secretary in the Social Justice Department.
During this period, he spearheaded programs including the Nirbhaya Programme for women facing distress, India’s inaugural Cochlear Implant Programme, the first-ever State Policy for Transgender individuals, Early Intervention Programmes targeting disabilities, and facilitated the establishment of the National Institute of Physical Education and Medical Research (NIPMER) located in Thrissur.
Additional Chief Secretary – Finance
Serving from 2014 to 2017 as Finance Secretary, he played a pivotal role in amending the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Act to create the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). This board was designed to harness innovative approaches within India’s financial markets. He was appointed as CEO of KIIFB and continues to hold this position.
Chief Secretary
Abraham concluded his civil service career as Chief Secretary of the Government of Kerala in December 2017.
Current roles in Government of Kerala
- Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala
- Chief Executive Officer, KIIFB
- Executive Vice Chairperson, Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC)
Membership in Professional Bodies
- Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (Member), USA
- Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) Member
Areas of academic interest
- Adoption of Emerging Technologies in Public Sector (Blockchain, Deep Learning, Internet of Things)
- Corporate Finance, Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Securities Analysis, Risk Management, Debt Markets, Portfolio Management, Public Finance
Awards and honors
- Recipient of the 16th Archbishop Mar Gregorious Award recognizing exceptional contributions to social justice (2018)
- Featured by Dhanam Magazine as one of the top ten Personality Brand Names (2018)
- Honored with a Special Award from the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms alongside the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information for demonstrating integrity and professional excellence (2017)
- Awarded the Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Award by the IIT Kanpur Alumni Association for exemplifying the highest standards of professional honesty and integrity (2016)
- Achieved the GFiles Governance Award for outstanding accomplishments (2014)
- Identified by India Today as among Kerala’s top ten bureaucrats (2014)