Meet Kerala's new Higher Education Minister, Dr R Bindu, a former English prof and one of the most educated MLAs in the state

R Bindu, one of the most educated MLAs in the new assembly will be the new Minister for Higher Education in Kerala. She was the former Principal and the Head of the English Department of Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur and represents assembly constituency Irinjalakuda.

A veteran CPI (M) activist and a former member of the SFI, Bindu was also the Mayor of the Thrissur Municipal Corporation. This is her first term as an MLA. She is also the wife of the current Left Democratic Front convenor and former MP A Vijayaraghavan.

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The new minister, who holds a PhD degree in English Literature from Calicut University, is one of the most educated MLAs in the current assembly. The other three are Dr Mathew Kuzhalnadan, Dr N Jayaraj and former Minister for Higher Education Dr K T Jaleel. Recently, Tamil Nadu had also appointed the assembly's most educated MLA Dr K Ponmudi, as its Minister for Higher Education.

At the same time, for the first time in Kerala's history, the new cabinet will have three woman ministers - Veena George who will be the new Health Minister, replacing a much-praised K K Shailaja and Chinju Rani, whose department is yet to be revealed. All the ministers in the current cabinet, barring Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be serving their first terms as ministers.