| alma_mater = [[University of Kerala]]<br />([[Bachelor of Science|B.Sc.]], [[Master of Science|M.Sc.]], [[Bachelor of Education|B.Ed.]])
}}
}}
'''Veena George''' is an Indian politician and current '''Minister for Health and Family Welfare''' in the [[Government of Kerala]].<ref>https://kerala.gov.in/documents/10180/10f1c4c2-f98b-4600-9b2a-749f33bdb791</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.timesnownews.com/india/kerala/article/veena-george-to-replace-kk-shailja-as-kerala-health-minister-heres-list-of-cpim-ministers-and-portfolios/758956 | title=Veena George to replace KK Shailaja as Kerala health minister; here's list of new ministers and portfolios | publisher=Times Now | date=19 May 2021 | accessdate=19 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Notifications - Government of Kerala, India|url=https://kerala.gov.in/notifications|access-date=2021-05-21|website=kerala.gov.in}}</ref> She is elected from [[Aranmula (State Assembly constituency)|Aranmula constituency]] to the [[Kerala State Assembly|Kerala Legislative Assembly]] representing [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]]. Prior to joining politics, she has worked with major Malayalam news channels for over 16 years. She is also the first female executive editor among Malayalam news channels.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/meet-11-women-mlas-who-will-join-kerala-assembly-148266 | title=Meet the 11 women MLAs who will join the Kerala Assembly | publisher=The NewsMinute | work=Haritha John | date=4 May 2021 | accessdate=7 May 2021}}</ref>
'''Veena George''' is an Indian politician of the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] and represents [[Aranmula (State Assembly constituency)|Aranmula constituency]] in the [[Kerala State Assembly|Kerala Legislative Assembly]]. Prior to joining politics, she has worked with major Malayalam news channels for over 16 years. She is also the first female executive editor among Malayalam news channels.
==Education==
Veena George has a Post Graduate degree in Physics from [[Kerala University]].
==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Born in [[Thiruvananthapuram]] on 3 August 1976 to Rosamma Kuriakose and Adv. P. E. Kuriakose, she did her basic schooling from Mount Bethany High School [[Mylapra]] in [[Pathanamthitta district|Pathanamthitta]] district. She pursued [[Physics]] for graduation and postgraduation from [[Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram]] and completed her [[Bachelor of Education|B.Ed.]] as a [[University of Kerala]] rank holder. She had taught [[Physics]] at [[Catholicate College Pathanamthitta]] for one year before taking up journalism as her career choice. She joined [[Kairali TV]] as a journalist trainee and had a 16 year old successful career with prominent Malayalam news channels. In 2015, she took charge as the executive editor of the Malayalam news channel [[TV New]] and become the first woman to do so.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Veena George, the first woman Executive Editor in the history of Malayalam TV news|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/veena-george-first-woman-executive-editor-history-malayalam-tv-news%3famp|access-date=2021-05-22|website=The News Minute}}</ref>
Veena George is married to Dr. George Joseph who was the Association Secretary of [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]]
She is married to Dr. George Joseph, a higher secondary school teacher and former secretary of the [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Veena George likely to replace KK Shailaja as health minister in new Kerala cabinet: Who is she|url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/amp/news/india/veena-george-who-is-she-kerala-health-minister-kk-shailaja-pinarayi-vijayan-cabinet-list-latest-updates-705647|access-date=2021-05-22|website=India TV}}</ref>
==Career==
==Career==
===Television career===
===Television career===
Veena George began her career at [[Kairali TV]] as a journalist trainee. She left [[Kairali TV]] and joined [[Manorama News]] as a news anchor. At [[Manorama News]] she was also in charge of programmes named Pularvela and Ee lokham etc. Later she was associated with Malayalam news channels [[Indiavision]] and [[TV New]]. At [[Indiavision]] she was the chief news editor. She joined [[TV New]] in February 2015 as the Executive Editor.<ref>[http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/veena-george-first-woman-executive-editor-history-malayalam-tv-news Veena George, the first woman Executive Editor in the history of Malayalam TV news]</ref>
Veena George began her career at [[Kairali TV]] as a journalist trainee, later she joined [[Manorama News]] as a news anchor and also presented morning shows and special international news programmes. Later she was associated with Malayalam news channels [[Indiavision]], [[Reporter TV]] in prominent roles and joined TV New the roll of executive editor in 2015.<ref>[http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/veena-george-first-woman-executive-editor-history-malayalam-tv-news Veena George, the first woman Executive Editor in the history of Malayalam TV news]</ref>
===Politics===
Veena George was nominated as the candidate for [[Aranmula (State Assembly constituency)|Aranmula constituency]] by [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPI(M)]] state secretariat for [[2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election|2016 Kerala Assembly Elections]],<ref>[http://www.kaumudi.com/innerpage1.php?newsid=7642 CPM approves candidatures of Mukesh, Veena George]</ref> and was elected to [[Kerala Legislative Assembly]] by defeating congress veteran K Sivadasan Nair of [[Indian National Congress]] by a margin of 7646 votes.<ref>[http://www.newindianexpress.com/assembly-elections-2016/kerala-polls/Red-wave-in-Pathanamthitta/2016/05/20/article3441803.ece Red wave in Pathanamthitta ]</ref>
===Political career===
She was a [[Students' Federation of India]] (SFI) activist in her college days. She contested elections for the first time when the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPI (M)]] fielded her from an [[Indian National Congress|INC]] held [[Aranmula (State Assembly constituency)|Aranmula]] seat in [[2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election|2016 assembly polls]]. She defeated senior INC leader, [[K. Sivadasan Nair]] with a margin of 7646 votes. In [[2019 Indian general election]], Veena contested from [[Pathanamthitta (Lok Sabha constituency)|Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency]] and came second in a fierce tri-cornered battle with the [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]] and INC.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sabarimala could hold the key|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/sabarimala-could-hold-the-key/article26705343.ece/amp/|access-date=2021-05-22|website=The Hindu}}</ref> She retained her seat in 2021 assembly elections with an increased margin of 19,003 votes. On 20th May 2021, she sworn in as a cabinet minister in the first [[Left Democratic Front (Kerala)|Left Democratic Front]] government to retain power and the first government to be re-elected since [[1977 Kerala Legislative Assembly election|1977]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kerala Assembly elections: Welfare thrust helps left rewrite history|url= https://www.business-standard.com/article-amp/elections/kerala-assembly-elections-welfare-thrust-helps-left-rewrite-history-121050200715_1.html|access-date=2021-05-02|website=Business Standard}}</ref> On 21st, she took charge as the Minister of Health and Family Welfare as the successor of renowned CPI (M) leader, [[K. K. Shailaja]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former journalist Veena George replaces KK Shailaja as Kerala Health Minister in Covid era|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/kerala/story/journalist-veena-george-shailaja-kerala-health-minister-covid-profile-1805161-2021-05-21|access-date=2021-05-21|website=Business Standard}}</ref>
===Election candidature history===
In [[2019 Indian general election]], she contested from [[Pathanamthitta (Lok Sabha constituency)]] as Left front candidate ([[Left Democratic Front (Kerala)|LDF]]). However she lost the election by a margin of 44,243 votes to [[Anto Antony]] of [[Indian National Congress]].
Veena George began her career at Kairali TV as a journalist trainee. She left Kairali TV and joined Manorama News as a news anchor. At Manorama News she was also in charge of programmes named Pularvela and Ee lokham etc. Later she was associated with Malayalam news channels Indiavision and TV New. At Indiavision she was the chief news editor. She joined TV New in February 2015 as the Executive Editor.[1]
