Work from home, postpone overseas travel, take the metro: Nine suggestions from PM Modi to mitigate the impact of the global crisis

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged citizens to adopt widespread lifestyle and consumption changes as part of the country’s efforts to save foreign currency and reduce the economic impact of the current West Asian conflict and global energy crisis. These include reducing fuel use, prioritizing public transport and postponing overseas travel. Addressing a public event in Secunderabad, Prime Minister Modi said rising global energy prices and supply chain disruptions required citizens to adopt a “collective restraint” and “duty first” attitude.“But friends, when supply chains continue to be in crisis, no matter what measures we take, the difficulties will only get worse. So now we must fight together and put the country and Mother India first. We must remember that patriotism is more than just dying for your country. Living for the country and fulfilling obligations to the country are also patriotism. ” Here are nine suggestions from Prime Minister Modi:

Save on gasoline and diesel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for immediate curbs on fuel consumption, stressing the need to reduce dependence on imported energy.“In this moment of global crisis, we must take a resolution to keep our responsibility first and fulfill it wholeheartedly. A big resolution is to use petrol and diesel sparingly. We must limit the use of petrol and diesel,” he said.

Take the subway

Prime Minister Modi urged citizens in urban areas to prioritize public transport systems such as metro networks to reduce fuel usage. He encouraged behavioral changes in cities with metro connections towards shared and efficient travel options. “In cities with subway lines, we should decide to travel only by subway,” he said.

Carpool

Prime Minister Modi also suggested carpooling as a practical way to reduce fuel consumption when a private car is required.He emphasized that shared travel can significantly reduce fuel demand pressure. “If we have to use cars, then we should try ride-sharing,” Prime Minister Modi urged.

Use electric cars

Prime Minister Modi highlighted cleaner transportation alternatives, urging citizens who own electric vehicles to maximize their use.He said the adoption of electric vehicles should be encouraged as part of wider efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. PM Modi demanded: “People who own electric vehicles should use them as much as possible.”

home work

Recalling the pandemic-era practices, Prime Minister Modi urged institutions and citizens to resume work-from-home arrangements wherever possible.He said the remote working system helps reduce travel, fuel consumption and overall economic stress. “During the epidemic, we developed many systems for working from home, online meetings, and video conferencing, and we have even become accustomed to them. Today, the call of the times is that if we reboot these systems, it will be in the national interest. We must again prioritize working from home, online meetings and virtual meetings,” he said.

online meeting

Prime Minister Modi also promoted the use of online meetings and digital coordination tools to reduce physical travel.Such systems were widely used during the Covid-19 pandemic and remain relevant during the current global crisis, he said.

videoconference

Prime Minister Modi emphasized the continued importance of video conferencing for official and professional communication.He said digital platforms could help maintain productivity while reducing transportation and fuel needs.

Save foreign exchange

Prime Minister Modi linked household consumption to the country’s economic stability, urging citizens to reduce imports and conserve foreign exchange.“We must also give high priority to saving foreign exchange as petrol and diesel have become so expensive globally… It is our responsibility to save the foreign exchange spent on buying petrol and diesel. ” Prime Minister Modi also directly called for curbs on discretionary spending on gold, saying it was adding pressure on foreign exchange reserves.“Buying gold is another area where foreign exchange is widely used. For the sake of the national interest, we must resolve not to buy gold for a year,” he said. He pointed to edible oils and fertilizers as key areas where reduced consumption could strengthen the economy.“If every household reduces the use of cooking oil, it will be a huge contribution to patriotism,” Prime Minister Modi urged.

postpone overseas travel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens, especially the middle class, to postpone non-essential travel abroad, including tourism and overseas weddings.He said such travel patterns put additional pressure on foreign exchange reserves at a time of global uncertainty.“The culture of overseas weddings, overseas travel and overseas vacations is increasingly popular among the middle class. We have to decide that in this time of crisis we should postpone travel abroad for at least a year,” he said. The U.S.-Iran war has already impacted India, with rising oil prices, limited crude cargo arrivals and heightened volatility in global energy markets as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz disrupt one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.The Strait of Hormuz is an important sea lane through which a large portion of India’s crude oil imports flow. It remains a key pressure point in the conflict, with disruptions pushing up freight costs, insurance premiums and global benchmark crude prices.