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The selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday appointed Gyanesh Kumar as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). The committee, comprising Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, had earlier recommended the name of the new CEC to President Droupadi Murmu.Dr. Vivek Joshi, IAS of the 1989 batch, was also appointed as Election Commissioner, with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.The decision comes as the incumbent CEC, Rajiv Kumar, is set to retire on February 18, 2025, upon attaining the age of 65 years.Also Read: Who is Gyanesh Kumar, India’s new Chief Election Commissioner?Gyanesh Kumar, the current senior-most election commissioner, remains in office with a tenure extending until January 26, 2029 and has become the 26th CEC of India.This appointment marks the first major implementation of the new law governing the selection of the CEC and Election Commissioners (ECs), which was enacted last year. Under this law, a search committee shortlists five senior bureaucrats for consideration by the prime minister-led selection panel, departing from the previous practice of automatically elevating the senior-most election commissioner to the role of CEC.Also Read: Who is Vivek Joshi, India’s new election commissioner?Meanwhile, the Congress has raised objections to the selection process, citing the exclusion of the Chief Justice of India from the panel. Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi urged the government to postpone the appointment until the Supreme Court hears a pending petition on February 19 regarding the constitutionality of the new selection process.With Rajiv Kumar’s retirement, an additional election commissioner may also be appointed to fill the ensuing vacancy.

India's exports to the US rose by 39 per cent year-on-year to USD 8.44 billion in January, while imports grew by 33.46 per cent to USD 3.57 billion, according to the commerce ministry data. Cumulatively, the country's exports to the US during April-January grew by 8.95 per cent to USD 68.46 billion against USD 62.84 billion in the same period previous fiscal, the data showed. During 2021-24, America was the largest trading partner of India. The US is one of the few countries with which India has a trade surplus. 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 and USD 35.31 billion trade surplus). The increasing trade assumes significance as the two countries are aiming at USD 500 billion two-way commerce by 2030 and a trade agreement.