Goa, Aug. 22 -- The government has clarified in Parliament that reports suggesting USAID funded voter turnout programmes in India are "incorrect and baseless."

Answering CPI(M) MP John Brittas' query in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said the US Embassy in New Delhi had been asked to submit details of all USAID-funded projects over the last ten years. The Embassy responded with a list of activities undertaken in India but confirmed that no $21 million funding was provided for voter turnout initiatives from 2014 to 2024.

The clarification comes against the backdrop of a February announcement by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which cancelled USD 486 million for global CEPPS ...