V. Sivankutty

Vasudevan Sivankutty (born 10 November 1954) is an Indian politician, currently serving as the Minister for General Education and Labour,[1] Government of Kerala. He represents the Nemom Constituency in the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly.

V Sivankutty
Minister for General Education & Labour, Government of Kerala
Assumed office
20 May 2021 (2021-05-20)
Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan
Preceded by
Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly
In office
2007 (2007)–2011 (2011)
Preceded byB. Vijayakumar
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
ConstituencyThiruvananthapuram East
In office
2011 (2011)–2016 (2016)
Preceded byN. Sakthan
Succeeded byO. Rajagopal
ConstituencyNemom
Assumed office
24 May 2021 (2021-05-24)
Preceded byO. Rajagopal
ConstituencyNemom
Personal details
Born (1954-11-10) 10 November 1954
Cheruvakkal, Trivandrum, State of Travancore–Cochin
(present day Kerala), India
Political partyCommunist Party of India (Marxist)
SpouseR. Parvathy Devi
Relations
Children1
Parents
  • M. Vasudevan Pillai
  • P. Krishnamma
ResidenceThiruvananthapuram
In this Indian name, the name Vasudevan is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Sivankutty.

Sivankutty is a State Committee Member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala and the State Secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Kerala, and the District President of CITU, Thiruvananthapuram.

Political career

Sivankutty entered politics through the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and has held positions such as its District President, State President, District Secretary, State Secretary and All India Joint Secretary. From SFI, he joined the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), and currently holds positions such as its State Secretary and District President.[2]

He was the President of the erstwhile Ulloor Panchayat, the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the Joint Secretary of the All India Mayors’ Council, the MLA of Thiruvananthapuram East and then Nemom (2011 - 2016).[3]

In the recently concluded Kerala Assembly Elections, he defeated BJP's Kummanam Rajasekharan and K. Muraleedharan to become the MLA of Nemom again (2021–Present). He is currently a Minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF cabinet, handling portfolios of General Education and Labour.[4] The other departments under him right now are Literacy Movement, Employment and Training, Skills, Rehabilitation, Factories and Boilers, Insurance Medical Service, Industrial Tribunals, and Labour Courts.

Controversies

2015 Budget Presentation Ruckus

The Assembly witnessed ugly scenes after the Opposition MLAs attempted to prevent the Finance Minister from presenting the budget. His photos were so familiar leading the protest with the cable, sound system and monitor. Sivankutty was the major leader who opposed and created panic in assembly. Other accused in the case are minister K T Jaleel, E P Jayarajan, C K Sadasivan, K Ajith and Kunhahamed Master.Violent legislators had toppled the Speaker’s chair and threw the microphones away. The House suffered damages worth 2 lakh in the incident. Charges against the accused include relevant section of Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act and IPC sections 447 (criminal trespass) and 427 (mischief causing damage).

The government moved the court based on a letter filed by V. Sivankutty. Several others, including Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, had filed petition.[5]

2023 Ambulance incident

On 12 July, 2023, a pilot vehicle in Sivankutty's convoy, driving on the wrong side of the road, crashed a police jeep onto the side of ambulance van. This led to the injury of three people (including the patient). The incident took place in Kottarakkara in Kollam district when a driver from the minister's convoy. Sivankutty reportedly stepped out of the vehicle for a few minutes, inspected van, then continued towards Thiruvananthapuram. The police was criticized by the victims for not intervening or filing an FIR.[6]

Personal life

Sivankutty was born as the son of activist M. Vasudevan Pillai and P. Krishnamma, at Cheruvakkal.

He is married to women's rights activist and Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) member R. Parvathi Devi. They have one son.[7]

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "വി ശിവന്‍കുട്ടി". ManoramaOnline. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  3. "Members - Kerala Legislature". www.niyamasabha.org. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  4. Aswin J. Kumar (18 May 2021). "Kerala Ministers 2021: V Sivankutty becomes second corp mayor to turn minister | Thiruvananthapuram News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  5. https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/kerala-assembly-2015-ruckus-court-rejects-govt-s-demand-to-withdraw-case-1.5073751
  6. Nair, Aishwarya (13 July 2023). "Day after Minister V Sivankutty's pilot vehicle collides with ambulance, Kerala Police yet to act". The Free Press Journal. p. 1. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  7. "തലസ്ഥാനത്തിന്റെ ജനകീയ മുഖമായി വി ശിവൻകുട്ടി". Deshabhimani (in Malayalam). Retrieved 25 May 2021.
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