Priyanca Radhakrishnan becomes New Zealand’s first-ever Indian-origin minister

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has created history by appointing Indian-born Priyanca Radhakrishnan as a cabinet minister.

Labour Party list candidate Priyanca Radhakrishnan in an Onehunga Cafe to meet the team from Everybody Eats (the pay-as-you-feel dining concept) on 16 October. Source: Lynn Grieveson - Newsroom/Newsroom via Getty Images

Priyanca Radhakrishnan is the first-ever minister of Indian origin in the New Zealand cabinet.

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Highlights:

• Priyanca Radhakrishnan is the first-ever minister of Indian origin in a New Zealand cabinet.
• She was born in a small town near Ernakulam in Kerala.
• She has been appointed as the Minister for Youth and Ethnic affairs.

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Jacinda Ardern announced her cabinet on Monday.

Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan speaks in the House while fellow MP Rino Tirikatene looks on at Parliament on April 02, 2019 in Wellington, New Zealand. Source: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Ms Radhakrishnan, who hails from Ernakulam in Kerala, will be responsible for Diversity, inclusion and Ethnic Communities affairs amongst other portfolios.

She has been appointed as the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Minister for Youth and Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment.

Ms Radhakrishnan expressed her gratitude to the community in a Facebook post.

She said, "Today has been an incredibly special day. I'm feeling a lot of things, including an overwhelming sense of privilege to become part of our Government. 

Huge thanks to everyone who has taken the time to message/call/text congratulatory messages- thank you all."

Humbled to be appointed a Minister and I'm looking forward to working with an incredible line up of Ministerial and caucus colleagues this term.

Born in India, Ms Radhakrishnan went to school in Singapore before moving to New Zealand to further her studies. After obtaining a Master of Development Studies from Victoria University, she started working as a social worker in Aotearoa.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Priyanca Radhakrishnan in an Onehunga Cafe to meet the team from Everybody Eats. Source: Lynn Grieveson - Newsroom/Newsroom via Getty Images

She worked as a policy advisor to former Labour MP, Hon Phil Goff.

In 2019, she was appointed the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Ethnic Communities.

She lives in Auckland with her husband.

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