Ottawa, May 14 (NationPress) Canada's Foreign Minister Indira Anita Anand, who is set to navigate the country's relationship with India and address the fragile ties with the United States, has transitioned from an academic to a political leader.

Anand has experienced a rapid ascent in politics since her election to parliament in 2019, moving through various ministries including procurement, defence, internal trade, transport, and industry, before taking on the foreign affairs role earlier today, according to Indian time.

Earlier this year, when the Labour Party's prospects appeared bleak and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his departure, Anand expressed her intent to exit politics and return to academia.

“With the Prime Minister's decision to embark on a new chapter, I believe it's the right moment for me to do the same and return to my previous pursuits in teaching, research, and public policy analysis,” she stated in January.

However, as the party rebounded dramatically under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney, she chose to seek re-election.

Carney also encouraged her to remain in her governmental role.

As the first Hindu woman elected to Canada's parliament and the inaugural Hindu minister, she took her oath of office with the Bhagavad Gita.

Her father, S V Anand, was the son of a freedom-fighter from Tamil Nadu, V A Sundaram, while her mother, Saroj Ram, hails from Punjab, and both were doctors who immigrated to Canada.

Reflecting on her political journey, she remarked, “During my inaugural campaign, many told me that a woman of Indian descent wouldn't be elected in Oakville, Ontario. Yet, Oakville supported me not once but twice since 2019, a privilege I will cherish forever.”

Her constituents reaffirmed their support for a third time in April.

On her swift rise in government, she wrote, “Back in 2019, I never envisioned that my work would entail navigating supply chains during a global pandemic, addressing sexual assault in the Canadian Armed Forces, ensuring military aid reached Ukraine, overseeing the Treasury Board Secretariat, or strengthening Canada's transportation systems.”

In her initial role as public services and procurement minister in Trudeau's cabinet, she made a significant impact during the COVID pandemic, ensuring Canada had adequate medical supplies and vaccines, many of which were sourced from India.

This achievement paved her way to becoming the high-profile defence minister in 2021.

During her term, as Russia invaded Ukraine, she rallied Canadian support for Kyiv.

In 2023, she was appointed president of the Treasury Board, a ministerial position overseeing government operations and managing annual federal expenditures of $450 billion and around 300,000 federal employees.

Along the way, she also managed the internal trade and transport portfolios.

An expert in business and finance law, she was a tenured law professor at the University of Toronto, with visiting lecturer roles at Yale University.