K Shivaram, a bureaucrat-turned-actor and the first person to clear the UPSC exam in Kannada, passed away at a private hospital here at the age of 70.

He breathed his last on Thursday at a private hospital where he was undergoing treatment for multiple health issues for many days, sources close to him said.

They said that he was brought to hospital because of blood pressure fluctuation and that he had suffered a cardiac arrest six days ago. Yesterday, he suffered another cardiac arrest which led to his death, they said.

Shivaram, who also had a stint in politics, is survived by his wife and daughter.

His mortal remains have been kept at Ravindra Kalakshetra today for dignitaries and well-wishers to pay their last respects. The last rites will be performed later in the day, the sources added.

After completing his basic education, Shivaram joined the police department and later completed BA and MA degrees while working. Later, he passed the Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) exam following which he was appointed as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

In 1986, Shivaram became the first person to clear the UPSC exam in Kannada. Seven years later, he made his movie debut, in the Nagathihalli Chandrashekar directorial 'Baa Nalle Madhuchandrake' which was an adaptation of a novel of the same name. Though the movie was a hit, his subsequent films did not do well at the box office after which he shifted focus to his career as a bureaucrat.

Shivaram served as the Bengaluru Regional Commissioner till his retirement in 2013.

After this, he shifted focus towards politics and was part of Congress and JD(S) before joining the BJP. He had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Bijapur on a JD(S) ticket. BJP had appointed him to its state executive committee.