Bengaluru: K Shivaram, a former IAS officer who dabbled in acting and politics, passed away at a hospital in Bengaluru on Thursday. He was 70.
Born on April 6, 1953, to drama master Kempaiah and his wife Chikkaboramma at Urugahalli village in Ramanagar district, Shivaram wore many hats and achieved success in bureaucracy as well as acting though he didn't achieve the same level of success in his political career.
His most notable claim to fame was the fact that he was the first person to clear the UPSC exam in Kannada.
After completing his matriculation from the Government High School in Malleswaram and a course in typing and shorthand, Shivaram secured a job in the state government in 1972. The next year, he joined the police department's intelligence wing as a police reporter.
While on the job, he secured BA and MA degrees through evening and distance learning. In 1985, he passed the Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) exam and was appointed as the Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Shivaram made history in 1986 when he became the first person to clear the UPSC exam in Kannada, fulfilling a childhood dream.
His film career took off with the 1993 hit Baa Nalle Madhuchandrake, a musical and romantic thriller directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekar. However, most of his subsequent film ventures didn't do well, prompting him to shift his focus to his bureaucratic career. Shivaram retired in 2013 as the Bengaluru regional commissioner.
After retirement, Shivaram joined the Congress party. He left the Congress a year later and joined hands with the JD(S), which fielded him in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Bijapur. He lost to the BJP's Ramesh Jigajinagi. Shivaram eventually joined the BJP and was appointed to its state executive committee.
He is survived by wife Vani Shivaram and a daughter who is married to Kannada actor Pradeep.
Published 29 February 2024, 09:00 IST