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PM advises Indians to work remotely and avoid foreign travel during the worldwide energy crunch caused by the Iran conflict.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Indians to work from home, avoid international travel and refrain from buying gold during the United States-Israel conflict with Iran, which has driven global energy prices higher, increasing strain on India’s foreign exchange reserves.
He made the appeal during a public programme in the southern city of Hyderabad on Sunday.
Here is more about what Modi stated, what is driving the Indian government’s worries and how they are connected to the conflict involving Iran.
What did Prime Minister Modi say?
He said citizens should shift to virtual meetings instead of in-person gatherings and adopt the remote-work approach that became widespread globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained that these habits would reduce fuel consumption.
In addition, Prime Minister Modi encouraged people to use public transportation and shared rides to conserve fuel. He urged families to lower their cooking oil usage, describing the step as both healthy and patriotic.
He also requested Indians to avoid purchasing gold and to reduce nonessential foreign travel for at least a year. The prime minister asked farmers to reduce their fertiliser consumption by nearly half.
And he clarified his reason for asking the people of India to make these adjustments in their routines and plans: “In the present circumstances, we must place strong emphasis on conserving foreign exchange.”
What’s the ‘present circumstances’ Prime Minister Modi was referring to?
In simple terms, Modi was pointing to the conflict involving Iran and its widespread economic consequences, particularly for India.
Earlier in the conflict too, Modi had compared the financial disruption created by the crisis to the conditions seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Sunday, he expanded that comparison to also encourage Indians to follow some of the restrictive practices adopted worldwide during the coronavirus outbreak.