Chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar will on December 3 take up chairship of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA) for the year 2026 in Stockholm, reflecting a “global recognition of the Election Commission’s standing as one of the world’s most credible and innovative election management bodies (EMBs),” as per EC. IIDEA is an intergovernmental organisation created in February 1995, with India as a founding member, to support su

India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, on Monday met Congressman Jay Obernolte to discuss expanding India–US collaboration in science, technology, artificial intelligence and innovation. Kwatra also held what he described as a “fascinating and instructive” interaction with Francis Pedraza, founder of Invisible Technologies, focusing on emerging tech and its societal applications. Learn More

Feeling the heat from an unpredictable Trump administration, EU and India have lined up ambitious outcomes for the summit in late January that the 27-nation bloc believes will help set not just bilateral but also global agenda. These include not just the free trade agreement (FTA) under discussion but also a defence and security partnership and a determined effort to accelerate the IMEC connectivity project. These are expected to be among the key takeaways from a joint state