As the campaign for the federal election on April 28 got underway on Sunday, the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force is actively monitoring possible interference activity.

During a briefing on Monday, the task force’s chair, Vanessa Lloyd, also Deputy Director of Operations at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), said, “The PRC (People’s Republic of China) is highly likely to use AI-enabled tools to attempt to interfere with Canada’s democratic process in this current election,” according to media reports.

She also cited India as a potential threat, saying, “We have also seen that the government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes.”

The other countries named in the context of clandestine foreign interference were Russia and Pakistan.

The task force coordinates the government’s intelligence collection and analysis efforts concerning threats to Canada’s federal election processes, and it includes Global Affairs Canada’s Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) Canada, which monitors the digital information environment for foreign state-sponsored disinformation.

RRM Canada issued a warning during the race for the leadership of the Liberal Party, which concluded on March 9 with current Prime Minister Mark Carney winning with nearly 86 percent of the ballots cast by registered members of the party.

Earlier this month, it also warned of a “spamouflage” campaign targeting several individuals based in Canada, linked to China. It described spamouflage as a combination of “spam” and “camouflage,” intended to portray the hidden attempts to spread spam-like content and propaganda among more everyday, human-interest-style content.

In January, the final report of a foreign interference inquiry alleged that India was the “second most active country engaging in electoral foreign interference in Canada.” Only China, the report stated, has a greater impact on the country’s democratic processes.

The final report of the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, which is headed by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, was released on January 28 in Ottawa. Other nations accused of interference included Russia, Pakistan, and Iran.

The voluminous report stated, “India is the second most active country engaging in electoral foreign interference in Canada. Like the PRC (People’s Republic of China), India is a critical actor on the world stage.”

It stated that Canada and India have worked together for decades, but there were “challenges in the relationship.” Many of these, it said, were longstanding and inform India’s foreign interference activities. “India perceives Canada as not taking India’s national security concerns about Khalistani separatism (the goal of an independent Sikh homeland in northern India called ‘Khalistan’) sufficiently seriously.”

It said that India “focuses its foreign interference activities on the Indo-Canadian community and on prominent non-Indo-Canadians to achieve its objectives,” adding that New Delhi “has targeted all levels of government.”

It also alleged that India conducts such interference through “diplomatic officials in Canada and through proxies.”

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NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Uttar Pradesh govt for demolishing houses in Prayagraj within 24 hours of serving notice, saying it had “shocked the conscience of the court” and hinted that it would allow the aggrieved owners to rebuild their houses subject to the outcome of the case challenging the demolition. The case pertains to razing of the houses of a lawyer, a professor, and others in 2021.
A bench of Justices Abhay Oka and N Kotishwar Singh, based on the claim by the aggrieved, took exception to the manner in which demolition was carried out and termed it the state’s high-handedness. “It shocks the conscience of the court the manner in which within 24 hours of the notice it was done,” it said.
The UP govt, however, disputed the version of the petitioners that the demolition squad had moved in a day after notices were served on them.
Attorney general R Venkataramani, appearing for the state, argued that reasonable time was given to the petitioners to respond to the notice. He said on Dec 8, 2020, they were given the first notice, followed by notices in Jan 2021 and March 2021. The petitioners said the demolition notice was issued March 1, 2021, served on March 6, 2021, and demolition carried out on March 7.

Cannot tolerate such a process of demolition: SC
The petitioners said they were not given a reasonable opportunity to challenge the demolition notice before the appellate authority under Section 27(2) of the UP Urban Planning and Development Act.
“State must act very fairly and state must give reasonable time to enable them to file an appeal before the structures are demolished. Notice served on March 6 and demolition carried out on March 7. Now, we will allow them to reconstruct,” the bench said.
The bench pointed out that the notices were served by affixture, which is not the method approved by the law and only the last notice was served through the legally recognised method.

“Therefore, we are going to pass order only in the light of these facts. The manner in which the whole process has been conducted… the court cannot tolerate such a process. If we tolerate in one case, it will continue. We will pass an order that they can reconstruct at their own cost and if the appeal fails, then they will have to demolish at their own cost,” it said.
The court asked the petitioners to file an undertaking and adjourned the case. The petitioners in the case are advocate Zulfiqar Haider, Prof Ali Ahmed and three other individuals. They moved the apex court after Allahabad high court dismissed their plea against the demolition.

Clip of girl fleeing bulldozer sparks outrage in UP
The video of an eight-year-old girl clutching her books and running away from her shanty during an anti-encroachment drive in Ambedkar Nagar’s Jalalpur area in UP has sparked widespread outrage.
The footage, which surfaced on social media, showed an earthmover revving nearby, drawing sharp criticism from opposition parties. Former UP CM and SP president Akhilesh Yadav condemned the demolition, calling it an example of the state’s deteriorating condition.
On Monday, he posted on X, “Eight years, UP ruined, and only questions remain.” He also shared an AI-generated image of a girl holding books while a bulldozer loomed in the background. (PTI)

The SMW is an annual flagship programme being held in Singapore under the aegis of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, bringing global maritime leaders together to share and demonstrate their technologies. 
| Photo Credit: X/@sarbanandsonwal

India is addressing supply chain vulnerabilities by developing key corridors such as India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the Eastern Maritime Corridor, and the North-South Transport Corridor to secure trade routes, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said at Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) on Monday (March 24, 2025). A green and digital corridor is under discussion between India and Singapore.

The SMW is an annual flagship programme being held in Singapore under the aegis of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, bringing global maritime leaders together to share and demonstrate their technologies. The five-day programme commenced on Monday.

“As a reliable and responsible partner, India is committed to building a green, secure, and inclusive maritime future. Alongside Singapore and global partners, we aim to drive innovation and collective action for a resilient maritime ecosystem,” Mr. Sonowal said in his address at SMW. He held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines. “Our commitment extends to developing Green Shipping Corridors, including the proposed India-Singapore Green and Digital Corridor, focused on clean energy and smart logistics,” he stated.

A $20 billion investment would enhance logistics, port connectivity, and trade facilitation, the Minister said. India targets a top-five global shipbuilding rank by 2047 through policy reforms and infrastructure upgrades, and ports aim to grow their global cargo share from 6% to 15% by 2047, supported by a Maritime Development Fund for fleet and shipyard expansion, he stated. The GIFT City is also rising as a global hub for maritime finance and ship leasing, offering a competitive gateway to global capital, Mr. Sonowal said.

The Minister held meetings with Lee Hsien Loong, Senior Minister and ex-PM and other key Singapore Ministers as well as with Ministerial counterparts from France, The Netherlands, Norway and Portugal on navigating global maritime trends. He also met several industry captains.

The maritime sector faces both challenges and opportunities, from climate change and geopolitics to digital disruption and shifting trade patterns, the Minister stated. Global shipping and supply chains have come under severe stress following the attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen passing through key global waterways. “The maritime sector is key to driving growth, resilience, and sustainable connectivity. India is expanding port infrastructure, integrating logistics, and boosting ease of doing business, resulting in greater port efficiency, stronger cargo flows, and growing investor confidence,” Mr. Sonowal stated.

The Minister also stressed on digitalisation and future-ready shipping and elaborated on various initiatives that India announced for streamlining port services, cutting transaction times, and enabling real-time data. India is also partnering with the UAE and Singapore to create virtual trade corridors for seamless cargo movement, he added.

India and the US will finalise the contours, schedule of negotiations and terms of reference of the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) during the three-day talks, starting Tuesday, an official said.

The agreement would be finalised in two tranches and the first phase is expected to focus on issues pertaining to goods trade, but by end of this week there will be a full clarity on it, the official said.

The official added that since the US is a developed economy, a trade agreement with India would bring more predictability in tariffs, regulations, and economic integration.
A good trade deal can create a lot of synergy for “lot of two-way trade and investments,” the official said.

To formally start the negotiations on the agreement, Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch, along with a team of officials, will be visiting India from March 25-29.

During the three-day deliberations, “we will be finalising the contours of the BTA and will discuss the terms of reference of the BTA, besides working on some of the aspirations that we want to meet under the tranche one and two of the pact,” the official said. The two countries are targeting to conclude the first phase or tranche of the agreement by fall of 2025. The official, however, clarified that this week’s talk is not the first round of negotiations.

“We will try to finalise the schedule of negotiations as in how we will start first round, second round etc. We have been engaging virtually on BTA but now formally we are getting into the mode, where we will be entering into the negotiations,” the official said.

Normally in such trade pacts, two countries either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum (90-95 per cent) number of goods traded between them. Besides, they ease norms to promote trade in services and boost investments.

While the US has demanded greater market access in sectors like certain industrial goods, auto, wines and agriculture, India may look at duty cuts for labour intensive sectors like textiles.

As the timeline to conclude the first phase is ambitious, “we have to package what we can achieve in that limited time frame. We should not over commit,” the official added.

The officials of the two countries would also deliberate on issues to be included in the second phase of the agreement.

The visit of the US team comes against the backdrop of President Donald Trump‘s plan to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries including India. He has on multiple forums stated that India imposes high tariffs on US goods.

Tariffs are import duties imposed and collected by government and paid by the companies to bring foreign goods into the country.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held talks with US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during his three-day visit to Washington earlier this month.

According to trade experts, there are uncertainties about how the Trump administration will impose the reciprocal duties.

Trade agreements have been a successful route to reduce tariffs bilaterally. The reciprocal tariff policy decision is for all the countries and not only for India.

The teams are also expected to discuss issues pertaining to services too.

On opening up of agri sector, a source said there are sensitivities. The US is an exporter of agri goods like wheat.

“We have to look at each other’s strengths, weaknesses and sensitivities and try to find common ground. The idea of a trade deal is always to find areas which are agreeable,” the source said adding long-term predictability in tariff and investment climate, and regulatory climate help businesses.

During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington, India and the US announced their commitment to more than double the two-way commerce to USD 500 billion by 2030 and negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector BTA by fall of 2025.

Goyal had earlier stated that the two countries can offer concessions and duty reductions, as their economies complement each other.

During the first term of US President Trump, the two countries had discussed a mini-trade deal, but it was shelved by the Joe Biden administration as they were not in favour of such pacts.

In 2023, the US-India bilateral trade in goods and services stood at USD 190.08 billion (USD 123.89 billion in goods and USD 66.19 billion in services trade).

The country’s services export to America was USD 36.33 billion in 2023, while imports aggregated at USD 29.86 billion.

In 2023-24, the US was the largest trading partner of India with USD 119.71 billion bilateral trade in goods (USD 77.51 billion worth of exports, USD 42.19 billion of imports, with USD 35.31 billion trade surplus).

India has received USD 67.8 billion in foreign direct investments from America during April 2000 and September 2024.

India faces high US tariffs on many labour-intensive goods like textiles, garments, and footwear, ranging between 15-35 per cent on several products. The US has already announced non-reciprocal tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and aluminium.

In 2024, India’s main exports to the US included drug formulations, biological (USD 8.1 billion), telecom instruments (USD 6.5 billion), precious and semi-precious stones (USD 5.3 billion), petroleum products (USD 4.1 billion), gold and other precious metal jewellery (USD 3.2 billion), ready-made garments of cotton including accessories (USD 2.8 billion), and products of iron and steel (USD 2.7 billion).

Imports included crude oil (USD 4.5 billion), petroleum products (USD 3.6 billion), coal, coke (USD 3.4 billion), cut and polished diamonds (USD 2.6 billion), electric machinery (USD 1.4 billion), aircraft, space crafts and parts (USD 1.3 billion), and gold (USD 1.3 billion).

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has directed the Union Home Ministry to decide within four weeks on the issue of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship. The ministry had requested eight weeks, with a deadline of April 21, to make its decision, but this request was rejected by the court.

Questions regarding Mr. Gandhi’s citizenship status have been raised intermittently over the years. As a member of Parliament since 2004 and the current Leader of the Opposition, the issue has attracted significant attention.

This particular case stems from a petition filed by a private individual from Karnataka, who has also requested an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The petitioner, Shishir, a BJP worker, claims to have new information about Gandhi’s citizenship. He asserts that he has access to confidential emails supporting his allegation. “We have direct communication from the UK government indicating that Mr. Gandhi is in their citizenship records,” Shishir told NDTV.

He further explained, “We have presented all the documents to the Allahabad High Court… According to Indian laws, dual citizenship is not allowed. Once someone takes the citizenship of another country, their Indian citizenship is automatically canceled.”

In a previous hearing held last November, the bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Om Prakash Shukla had instructed Deputy Solicitor General SB Pandey, representing the Home Ministry, to submit directions regarding the action taken on the matter. However, these directions have yet to be filed.

The Home Ministry was given a three-week deadline at that time to respond, which has now been extended to four weeks by the court.

The visiting delegation includes the Premier, three university Vice-Chancellors and StudyAdelaide officials, informed a press statement.

Malinauskas’ visit to the national capital highlights the delegation’s strong commitment to strengthening relations with India and marks a significant step in advancing the educational, cultural, and economic connections between South Australia and India, the statement added.

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Furthermore, the visit is also aimed at strengthening partnerships between South Australian institutions and key Indian industry leaders, providing students access to world-class education, industry experience, and career opportunities.

Notably, a StudyAdelaide event was held wherein opportunities were explored to connect Indian students with career success in Adelaide.

In his keynote address during the event, Malinauskas highlighted the growing opportunities in South Australia’s key industries. He said that South Australia’s economy is gaining momentum in industries including health, renewable energy, space, agriculture and critical technologies.

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“Indian students can benefit from the growth in these globally relevant and future-facing industries through employment while studying or after graduation and the collaborations our education sector has with industry. They will be set up for careers anywhere in the world. Our close collaboration between education and industry ensures that graduates are ready for the jobs of the future,” Malinauskas stated.

The StudyAdelaide event featured a panel discussion with the three public South Australian university Vice-Chancellors. The panel explored how Adelaide serves as a gateway for Indian students to excel academically and professionally.

Additionally, StudyAdelaide Chief Executive Jane Johnston emphasised the organisation’s commitment to student success.

“Beyond high-quality education, we take pride in the comprehensive support StudyAdelaide provides international students. Our Employment Connect initiative, launched ahead of this visit on our website, is the most extensive range of employment support programs of any Australian destination, helping students secure meaningful work during and after their studies,” Johnston said.

“Through Job Shop, even before a student enters South Australia, they can apply for a part-time or casual job, ensuring they have access to work opportunities from day one. In just the last two years, over 400 Indian students have participated in our employment-related initiatives,” Johnston added.

Also read: How Indian students should approach picking the right study abroad destination amid all this uncertainty?

As per the press statement, India continues to be largest source country for international students in South Australia since 2022, with 16,162 Indian student enrolments currently– a 4% increase on the previous year.

Moreover, South Australia is making significant investments in higher education to expand opportunities for students. In 2026, the state will launch Adelaide University, Australia’s newest university, combining the strengths of the University of South Australia and The University of Adelaide.

Meanwhile, following the New Delhi engagement, the delegation will proceed to Hyderabad.

New Delhi: American aerospace major Boeing will increase its sourcing from India, which is currently at Rs 10,000 crore annually from about 320 suppliers here, as it emerges from its worst ever crisis. While Indian airline customers will get two aircraft per month this year and next, its plans for India go beyond planes. Boeing’s senior VP Brendan Nelson is in India and shared with TOI the company’s plans here. Excerpts:

Indian airlines have been facing a long wait for Boeing planes. Do you have any good news for them?

On the commercial side, our deliveries are increasing. We’re capped at 38 a month on the B737 MAX (which accounts for a lion’s share of orders in India) by the FAA. We expect to get to 38 a month in the first half of this year. That is all being determined by absolutely ensuring the quality and the safety of the products that we’re producing.

We are confident B787 Dreamliner production will increase from five a month to seven. That is good news for Indian customers both on the 737 and the 787. Air India will get some of the ordered wide body aircraft over the next two years.

Boeing completed the flight procedures for the upcoming Greater Noida and Navi Mumbai airports with AAI. What are the other areas you are working on here?

Linking of airports and the relationship between airports — primary, secondary, regional and so on — is a good illustration of where an original equipment manufacturer’s commitment to a country really lies. Selling commercial airplanes and defence platforms is extremely important. But if that is all we do for India, then we are not serving India’s interests.

We have eight decades of partnership with India. We don’t see India as a transactional relationship. So these investments in airports; training of pilots, technicians, ground crews; MROs; in our JV Tata Boeing Aerospace; on the Apaches; in Boeing Engineering India Technology Centre in Bangalore and Chennai are critically important investment in India’s future and through it of course in Boeing’s future.

What are your plans to grow sourcing of goods and services from India?

We’ve got about 320 suppliers in India who provide very high quality components and parts. A quarter of those are small businesses, which is also extremely important. So, the spend is about $1.3 billion a year on Indian suppliers. And the extent to which that grows will depend on how many planes we produce. Our backlog is 5,500 planes.

India is an emergent superpower. The reforms that have been undertaken in India make it a very attractive place for companies like us. Strengthening our presence in India and supporting India’s strength, strengthens us in the US. Good for Boeing and good for the bilateral relationship.

Any plans to have a final assembly line in India?

It will be some time before there is a demand in the region to justify the business case for a final assembly line.