K.K. SHAILAJA TEACHER - PROFILE - HEALTH MINISTER OF KERALA

K.K. SHAILAJA TEACHER

K.K Shailaja who is popularly known as Shailaja teacher was born on 20 November 1956 to K. Kundan and K. K. Shantha. She hails from Kannur district and married to K. Bhaskaran in 1981. The couple have two sons named Lasith and Sobhith. She is 63 years old now. She is  the current health minister of Kerala and one of the two female ministers in the Pinarayi Vijayan government came into power in 2016.

She was born in a family of activists and freedom fighters. She obtained her Bachelors in Science from Pazhassi Raja NSS College Mattannur and Bachelor of Education from Visvesvarayya College in 1980. She then served as a high school teacher (science) at Shivapuram, Kannur . After a seven-year service, she retired in 2004 for full-time political action.

Shailaja Teacher entered politics through Students Federation of India (SFI) activities and later become a member of CPI (M) Central Committee. She is the State Secretary of All India Democratic Women's Association and Joint Secretary of its Central Committee.  She has authored two books- "Indian Varthamanavum Sthreesamoohavum" and "China- Rashtram, Rashtreeyam, Kazhchakal". She was the chief editor of "Sthree Sabdam" . 

She was a CPM, Central Committee member and Janadhipathya Mahila Association State Secretary. She was the editor of the Shylaja Mahila Association's Shrine Mahila Association, a district secretary, state secretary and secretary of the All India Mahila Association. The constituency lost from Peravoor constituency in 2011 after the constituency rebuilding. She represented Koothuparambu in 1996 and Peravoor in 2006 in the Kerala Legislative Assembly. Shailaja won a total of 67,013 votes in the Koothuparamba constituency in Kannur district by 12,291 votes. In the Pinarayi ministry, she is the minister in the department of health and social welfare.

Her leadership during the 'Nipah' virus outbreak was lauded by everyone. She had set up a team which enabled the fast diagnosis and further management of the deadly virus. She has received international attention for her leadership in tackling the Covid 19 pandemic in Kerala. Her effort  was appreciated by many international media including BBC, Guardian and Vogue.