Canada’s New Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Cabinet Includes Indian-Origin Anita Anand

International Desk

Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his new cabinet on Tuesday (May 13), which includes a mix of experienced and new faces to form the new administration. The most talked-about name in this cabinet is Indian-origin politician Anita Anand, who has been sworn in as Canada’s new Foreign Minister.

The 58-year-old Anita is a follower of Hinduism. During her oath-taking ceremony, she placed her hand on the sacred Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita. She is the first Hindu to be sworn in as Foreign Minister in Canada’s history. Previously, she served as Defense Minister in former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. She was first appointed as a minister in 2019.

This new cabinet consists of 29 members in total. Additionally, 10 more have been appointed to the position of ‘Secretary of State.’ Out of the 28 ministers, 24 are new faces, with 13 of them being elected for the first time.

Former Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly has now been given the responsibility of the Industry Ministry. Dominic LeBlanc has been assigned the Ministry of Internal Relations. François-Philippe Champagne remains in charge of the Finance Ministry. The Immigration Ministry has been entrusted to newly elected Nova Scotia MP Lena Diab, who previously worked in the provincial parliament.

Anita Anand was born on May 20, 1967, in Nova Scotia. Her mother, Saroj D. Ram, was Punjabi, while her father, S.V. Anand, hailed from Tamil Nadu. They settled permanently in Canada in the early 1960s. Anita’s family moved to Ontario when she was 18 years old.

In her academic life, Anita completed her undergraduate degree in Ontario and then studied law at the University of Oxford in the UK. Later, she pursued her postgraduate studies at Dalhousie University and the University of Toronto.

In 1995, Anita married lawyer and businessman John Nolton. The couple has four children and resides in Oakville.

After being sworn in as Foreign Minister, Anita Anand posted a message on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “I am honored to be nominated as Foreign Minister. Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, I will work towards a safer and more prosperous world.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s goal in forming the cabinet is to build a stronger Canada and address trade relations with the United States, particularly in dealing with Donald Trump’s potential tariff policies. He said, “This challenging time requires experience, but there must also be room for new faces.”