Priyanca Radhakrishnan is a New Zealand politician. She rose to fame in November 2020 when she became the first Indian-origin minister in New Zealand.
Wiki/Biography
Priyanca Radhakrishnan was born in Chennai, India in 1979 (41 years old in 2020). She went to school in Singapore before moving to New Zealand in 2004 to complete her tertiary education. She holds a Masters degree in Development Studies from Victoria University of Wellington. After graduation, she joined the New Zealand Labour Party in 2006 and continued to climb the political ladder, becoming the first Indian-origin New Zealand Minister in 2020.
family
Priyanca was born into a Malayali family to Raman Radhakrishnan and Usha Radhakrishnan. Her great grandfather, Dr. CR Krishna Pillai, was a doctor and a popular communist leader in Kochi. Her elder sister, Manavi, is settled in Canada. In 2010, Priyanca married Ivan Richardson, an IT professional, and they now live in Auckland.
Priyanka Radhakrishnan’s father
Priyanca Radhakrishnan and her husband
Political career
Priyanka Radhakrishnan joined the New Zealand Labour Party in 2006. She has been involved in the work of the party for a long time, from the policy-making process within the party to pre-election campaigns. Before each general election in New Zealand, political parties publish candidate lists with party rankings. Before the 2014 New Zealand general election, Priyanka was ranked 23rd on the Labour Party list (the highest ranking among newcomers). Over the past three years, her ranking has improved significantly, and she was ranked 13th on the Labour Party list published before the 2017 general election. She participated in the 2017 general election and lost, but she entered the New Zealand Parliament on the Labour Party list. She served as a member of the Auckland Council in New Zealand from 2017 to 2020. She participated in the 2020 New Zealand general election and lost, but this time she entered the Parliament again on the Labour Party list. On November 2, 2020, the cabinet of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appointed Priyanka as Minister of Communities and Voluntary Sector, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, Minister of Youth, and Associate Minister of Social Development and Employment.
Facts/Trivia
- In November 2017, she was robbed while shopping at an Auckland supermarket.
- A staunch supporter of animal welfare rights, Radhakrishnan has made valuable efforts to ensure dog-friendly spaces. She has also adopted two female dogs.
- Despite living in Kiwi culture, Priyanka hasn’t forgotten her roots; she still celebrates Indian festivals in New Zealand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub4QbTf8PQ8
- In addition, she also likes Carnatic music, a South Indian music system, and her favorite singer is also the South Indian classical musician KJ Yesudas.
- Priyanca Radhakrishnan is a member of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network, the National Council for Women (Auckland) and UN Women.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education