| M. Rajendra | |
| Birth Date: | 4 July 1911 |
| Birth Place: | British Malaya |
| Alma Mater: | Ceylon University College |
| Occupation: | Civil servant |
| Treasury Secretary | |
| Term: | 15 November 1968 - 6 May 1971 |
| Predecessor: | H. J. Samarakkody |
| Successor: | C. A. Coorey |
Murugeysen Rajendra (4 July 1911 - 10 March 1991) was a leading Ceylonese civil servant.
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 of 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 in 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]
. Dictionary of Biography of the Tamils of Ceylon. 1997. 156. S. Arumugam.