Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney has included two ministers of Indian heritage in his newly formed cabinet. And both of them are women: Kamal Khera and Anita Anand.
Carney took oath as Canadian PM on March 14 in a swearing-in ceremony presided over by Governor General Mary Simon Ottawa.
### **Who is Kamal Khera?**
Kamal Khera was appointed the Minister of Health. Aged 36 now, Khera did her schooling in Delhi where she was born. She continued her schooling in Canada after her parents shifted there.
Khera completed her Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing from York University in Toronto, Ontario. She served as a registered nurse in the palliative and oncology units at St Joseph's Health Centre in Toronto.
She won as a Liberal Party candidate in Brampton West in October 2015, becoming the youngest Liberal MP in Canada. She was also the second youngest MP overall. She got re-elected in the 2019 federal polls. From 2015 to 2021, she served as the parliament secretary positions in various ministries, including health, national revenue and international development.
After getting re-elected as MP from Brampton West in 2021, Khera was appointed the Minister of Seniors, becoming one of the youngest people to become a member of the cabinet as well as the Privy Council of Canada. In 2023, Khera was given the portfolio of Diversity, Inclusion, and Persons with Disabilities.
### **Who is Anita Anand?**
Anita Indira Anand, 57, was sworn in as the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. Born in Kentville, Nova Scotia, her parents were physicians from India. Her father S.V. Anand was a general surgeon from Tamil Nadu while her mother Saroj D. Ram was an anaesthesiologist from Punjab.
Anita moved to Ontario to pursue her bachelors in political studies at Queen's University. She then came back to Nova Scotia to get her Canadian law degree from Dalhousie University. She also holds a BA (Honours) in Jurisprudence from Wadham College, Oxford University and Masters in Law from the University of Toronto.
Anita has served in academic positions at Yale, Queen's University and Western University. She was a law professor at the University of Toronto before entering politics.
She won from Oakville in 2019 on Liberal Party ticket and became a member of the Privy Council. She was appointed the minister of public services and procurement. Anita got re-elected in 2021 and took oath as the Minister of National Defence, the second woman to hold this portfolio.
Later, in a reshuffling, she was posted as the President of the Treasury Board. In September 2024, Trudeau appointed Anand as the Minister of Transport, in addition to her role as the President of the Treasury Board. In December 2024, she was made the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade.