In this image posted on Aug. 12, 2026, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor during a meeting at Nirvachan Sadan, in New Delhi.

NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump's post appreciating India's mandatory elector identification system followed an Aug 12 meeting between chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and US ambassador to India Sergio Gor at Nirvachan Sadan. Kumar apprised the latter that electoral photo identity cards had been issued by EC to nearly 1 billion electors and that the turnout in recent Indian polls was higher than that in major democracies of the world.

Bharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the âprimeâ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in Indiaâs neighbourhood.