Meet Anita Anand, Canada's New Indian-Origin Minister Who Took Oath On Bhagavad Gita
Anita Anand took oath as Canada's foreign minister after Prime Minister Mark Carney reshuffled his cabinet amid trade war wit US.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reshuffled his cabinet on Tuesday giving a seat to Indian-origin Canadian politician Anita Anand.
Anand who replaces Mélanie Joly in the role previously served as the country's defence minister. A practicing Hindu, Anand took her oath for the new role with her hand on the Bhagavad Gita, a tradition she has followed in her earlier Cabinet appointments as well.
The new Carney cabinet comprises 28 ministers and 10 secretaries of state heralds which comes amid the US trade war. The Indian-origin Canadian politician became the first Hindu to serve in the country's federal Cabinet in 2019.
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. pic.twitter.com/NpPqyah9k3
— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) May 13, 2025
Who Is Anita Anand?
Anita Anand was born in Nova Scotia to Indian immigrant parents. Her mother was from Punjab while her father was from Tamil Nadu. Apart from politics, she also has a distinguished career in law, teaching, and public service.
Before her career in politics, Anand worked as a corporate lawyer and joined an Ontario government expert panel in 2015, according to a report by The Times of India. In 2019, she was elected MP from Oakville and served as minister of public services and procurement during the Covid-19 pandemic. Later, she served as the defence minister.
The 58-year-old politician is married to Canadian lawyer and business executive John Knowlton with four children. While she recently announvced her plans to quit politics, the fall of former PM Justin Turdeau and Carney's rise brought her back into leadership.
Anand's academic background is as diverse as her career with four degrees, including a BA in Political Science from Queen's University with gold medal. She also has a bachelor's degree in Jurisprudence from Oxford, a law degree from Dalhousie, and an MA from the University of Toronto.
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