Anita Anand, the first Hindu woman to be appointed as Canada’s Foreign Minister, took her oath of office with her hand placed on the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu scripture.
Carney, who became Prime Minister after replacing Justin Trudeau earlier this year, recently came victorious in election. Now, he’s reshaping his team, keeping trusted figures in the lead. More than 10 people were dropped from the new cabinet. Carney reduced the number of ministers to 29 from 39 when he was appointed by the previous Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, but retained some key players in the same positions, including Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Dominic LeBlanc, who handles US trade.
Anand, 57, entered into politics in 2019. She is Member of Parliament for Oakville, Ontario. In recent years, she has assumed four key Cabinet portfolios. She served at the Ministry of Public Services and Procurement during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she directed Canada’s vaccine acquisitions and health-related commodities. In 2021, she became Defence Minister. As Defence Minister, Anand oversaw Canada’s assistance to Ukraine in the war against Russia and addressed sexual misconduct amongst the Canadian Armed Forces. Anita Anand was born on 20 May 1967 in Kentville, Nova Scotia.
