New Delhi, Nov 13: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, discussed ways to further boost bilateral trade and promote investments, it was announced on Thursday.

Sidhu is in India to find opportunities to advance trade and investment linkages between the two nations.

“It was a pleasure to co-chair the 7th India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment as part of the New Roadmap 2025 along with @MSidhuLiberal, Canada’s Minister of International Trade,” Goyal posted on the X social media platform.

The minister further stated that they discussed “avenues to strengthen bilateral trade, promote investments and deepen cooperation between our countries”.

During his India visit, Sidhu is set to promote Canada’s commitment to supporting and growing the well-established commercial ties shared by Canada and India, including artificial intelligence, clean technology and digital industries, and explore new opportunities for partnerships that benefit workers and businesses in both countries.

“This visit to India will reinforce Canada’s commitment to diversifying our trade relationships and attracting new investment,” an official statement quoting Sidhu said. “As one of the fastest-growing major economies, India offers significant opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. Our commercial ties continue to expand — bilateral trade surpassed $30 billion in 2024 — and there is even greater potential ahead,” the statement added.

India is a key partner as Canada strengthens its economic links in the Indo-Pacific region under a comprehensive strategy for the region. In 2024, India was Canada’s seventh-largest goods and services trading partner, with two-way trade valued at $30.9 billion.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, held discussions on strengthening cooperation across key sectors, including trade, energy and security. Both leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Niagara.

EAM Jaishankar also praised the progress made under the New Roadmap 2025, aimed at enhancing bilateral ties between India and Canada and expressed hope for rebuilding a stronger partnership.

Aizawl, Nov 13: The Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with Mizoram Police, recovered highly addictive Methamphetamine tablets valued at Rs 45 crore from Saitual district and arrested two drug peddlers, officials said on Thursday.

A defence spokesman said that based on specific intelligence about the movement of drugs on the Ngopa-Saitual road in northern Mizoram’s Saitual district, a joint operation was launched on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

The team of Assam Rifles established a vehicle check post, which intercepted the suspected vehicle carrying drugs at Ngopa.

During the search operation, 15 kg of banned Methamphetamine tablets worth Rs 45 crore were recovered from two persons — Rabizul Haq and Naasiruddin, both residents of Barpeta in western Assam.

Recovered contraband, smuggled from Myanmar, along with apprehended individuals and their vehicle, were handed over to the Saitual district Police for detailed investigation and further legal proceedings.

As part of its continuous efforts to curb the spread of the drug menace in Mizoram, the Assam Rifles conducted yet another successful anti-narcotics operation, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with Assam Police, recovered heroin valued at Rs 4.65 crore from near Jhujang Pahar in Cachar district of southern Assam on November 11.

The November 11 drug seizure took place within two days in the same Cachar district.

The Assam Rifles, in a similar joint operation with Assam Police, recovered methamphetamine tablets worth Rs 6 crore on November 9. The banned methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba or party tablets, contain a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine and are commonly referred to as the ‘crazy drug’.

The highly addictive drugs are very popular among drug addicts in India, Bangladesh and the neighbouring countries.

Notably, Myanmar shares a 1,643-km-long unfenced border with four Northeastern states — Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland — which serve as a key transit point for drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets.

At least six of the 10 districts of Mizoram — Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip — share a 510-km border with Myanmar. Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and southern Assam have turned into major corridors for drug smuggling from Myanmar, with the illegal consignments being ferried to other parts of the country and abroad.

New Delhi, Nov 6: As polling for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections got underway on Thursday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday welcomed 16 delegates from six countries under its International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP).

The initiative, aimed at fostering global cooperation and transparency in electoral processes, saw participants from Colombia, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines, Belgium, and South Africa witnessing the on-ground arrangements of one of the world’s largest democratic exercises.

“Under the International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) of the ECI, 16 delegates from 6 countries – Colombia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Belgium, South Africa are witnessing the never before arrangements made by the ECI,” the poll panel said on X.

According to the ECI, the IEVP 2025 began earlier this week at the India International Institute for Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi on November 4.

The inaugural session was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi, who interacted with the visiting delegates and briefed them about India’s robust electoral framework.

During the Delhi leg, participants were given a detailed presentation on the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), voter roll management, and logistical preparedness.

“IEVP includes a two-day tour of Bihar from November 5-6, 2025 where the participants will visit the EVM dispatch centres and witness the actual polling on November 6, 2025,” the ECI said in its Press note earlier.

The IEVP is a flagship program of the ECI for international cooperation and engagement with the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of other countries and international organisations.

The IEVP, launched in 2014, serves as the ECI’s flagship platform for international engagement with Election Management Bodies (EMBs) and global democratic institutions. Through this programme, India showcases its electoral best practices and fosters mutual learning with partner nations.

This year’s edition underlines India’s growing role as a leader in electoral management, with the ECI using the Bihar polls as a live demonstration of its operational scale, transparency, and integrity.