Recently, Indo-Canadian lawmaker Anita Anand was appointed as Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, becoming the first Hindu woman to hold this important portfolio.
Anita Anand took the oath of office with her hand on the Bhagavad Gita.
Canadian Prime Minister Carney announced the reshuffle almost two weeks after his Liberal Party won the federal elections. He had replaced Justin Trudeau months ahead of the elections.
Anita earlier withdrew from the race for Canada’s premiership and announced that she would not stand for re-election to Parliament either.
Let's take a look at Anita's journey:
Anita, 58, was the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry before the polls and in the past has served in roles including the defence minister. She replaced Melanie Joly, who is now the Minister of Industry.
She was first elected as a Member of Parliament for Oakville in 2019 and previously served as President of the Treasury Board, as Minister of National Defence, and as Minister of Public Services and Procurement, according to the official website of the Prime Minister of Canada.
"I am honoured to be named Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Mark Carney and our team to build a safer, fairer world and deliver for Canadians," wrote Anita, an MP from Oakville East, in a post on X.
Scholar, lawyer & Researcher:
Among Anita’s many academic achievements is her work as a scholar, lawyer, and researcher. She has been a legal academic, including as a Professor of Law at the University of Toronto, where she held the J R Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance.
Also Read: Anita Anand of Indian origin named Canadian Foreign Minister
Born to Indian parents:
Anita Anand, born in 1967 in Kentville, Nova Scotia, hails from a family of Indian doctors who settled in Canada during the early 1960s. Her mother, Saroj D. Ram, was an anesthetist from Punjab, and her father, Sundaram V. Anand, was a general surgeon from Tamil Nadu.
Demonstrating academic brilliance, Anita pursued higher education at prestigious institutions, earning a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University, a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jurisprudence from Oxford University’s Wadham College. Additionally, she secured a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies from Queen’s University, where she was awarded a gold medal for her outstanding academic performance in 1989.
Anita Anand had declared her intention to leave politics and return to academia, aiming to resume her career in teaching and research after serving as a prominent cabinet minister under Justin Trudeau. However, Prime Minister Mark Carney, having assumed Liberal leadership in March 2025, persuaded her to remain in politics amid heightened Canada-US trade challenges.
Following her successful re-election as the MP for Oakville East in April 2025, Anand rejoined the cabinet as Minister of Foreign Affairs on May 13, 2025, a role Carney entrusted to her to navigate critical international relations, marking a significant return to frontline politics.
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