M. Rajendra

Rajendra was born on 4 July 1911 in British Malaya.[1][2] He was the son of Visvanathan Murugeysen, who hailed from Vaddukoddai in northern Ceylon, an officer in the British colonial administration and head of the telegraph office in Kuala Lumpur.[1][2] Rajendra had his early education at the Victoria Institution before being sent to Ceylon along with his brother Tiruchelvam to study at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia.[1][2] The brothers were placed under the guardianship S. J. V. Chelvanayakam.[3] At St. Thomas he was a close friend of Dudley Senanayake, later Prime Minister.[2] After school Rajendra joined the Ceylon University College, graduating in 1933 with a BA honours degree history.[1][2][4]

Rajendra married Neela, a daughter of G. Wignarajah.[1][2] They had two sons (Jayantha and Ajita) and a daughter (Malathy).[1][2]

Rajendra joined the Ceylon Civil Service as a cadet on 12 December 1934.[1][2] He was Assistant Government Agent in Matara, Hambantota, Chilaw, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya before becoming Government Agent of Eastern Province (1 August 1949 to 6 March 1950) and Government Agent of North Central Province in 1951.[1][2][5] He was Lands and Land Development Commissioner from 1954 to 1959.[1][2] He was later permanent secretary at the Ministry of Post, Broadcasting and Information and Ministry of Nationalised Services.[1] He was Treasury Secretary and Head of the Public Service from 1968 to 1971.[1][2][6]

After retirement Rajendra was chairman of the Freedom from Hunger Foundation and a member of the Monetary Board (1971–77).[1][2] He died on 10 March 1991.[1][2]