Canada's First Hindu Foreign Affairs Minister: Anita Anand has been named Canada’s new Foreign Minister as part of a significant cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who succeeded Justin Trudeau earlier this year and secured an electoral victory on April 28.
Anita takes over the role from Melanie Joly, who will now serve as Minister of Industry. A senior member of Canada’s Liberal Party is a practising Hindu and took her oath of office with her hand on the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita — a tradition she has followed during her previous Cabinet appointments.
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In a major cabinet shakeup, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney named Anita Anand the foreign minister of Canada. The Indian-origin politician previously served in roles including Canada's Defence Minister and she is the country’s first Hindu to hold the portfolio. Canadian PM Mark Carney unveiled a 38-member cabinet, comprising 28 ministers and 10 Secretaries of State, on Tuesday.
The 58-year-old senior Liberal Party member took her oath of office with her hand on the Bhagavad Gita, a tradition she has upheld in all her previous Cabinet appointments — reflecting her Hindu faith and Indian heritage.
Anand has previously served as Canada’s Defence Minister and is the first Hindu to hold such top roles. PM Carney recently unveiled a 38-member cabinet, which includes 28 ministers and 10 Secretaries of State.
Following the unveiling of the new Cabinet under Prime Minister Mark Carney, Carney outlined the government's top priorities -- creating new economic and security relationships with the United States, tackling the cost of living, and strengthening Canada's economy.
Anita Indira Anand is a Canadian lawyer, researcher, academic, and politician. She had served as Canada's defence minister, transport minister and minister of innovation, science and industry so far, according to her profile on the Liberal Party website.
The 58-year-old politician Anand was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia, to Indian immigrant doctor parents who moved to Canada from India in the early 1960s. Her mother is from Punjab, and her father is from Tamil Nadu. Ms Anand married John Knowlton, a Canadian lawyer and business executive, in 1995. They have four children and live in Oakville. Moreover, she has two sisters, Gita and Sonia.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford, a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University, and a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto.
The Indian-origin politician first entered Parliament in 2019, winning the Oakville seat for the Liberal Party. She quickly rose through the ranks, earning praise for her role in overseeing Canada’s vaccine procurement strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Image Credit: @anitaanandmp/Insta)
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