Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Friday after opposition members raised slogans demanding the resignation of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and protesting against the India-US interim trade agreement.
Hardeep Singh Puri, currently secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. He will succeed Nirupam Sen, whose term ended on March 31. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Puri was expected to take up his assignment shortly in New York. Puri, 57, a 1974-batch Indian Foreign Services officer, is known for his expertise on economic issues, especially on World Trade Organisation-related matters.
Himayani Puri, daughter of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, has filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court seeking the removal of defamatory social media content linking her to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and claiming damages of Rs 10 crore.
BPCL is a high revenue-earning public-sector undertaking (PSU) and plans to privatise it are completely off the table, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday after assuming charge of the ministry for the second time. "Why would we divest ourselves of highly successful Maharatnas like BPCL," Puri said, arguing the Centre was not in favour of divesting its stake in oil PSUs.
The Delhi high court has ordered the removal of defamatory social media content falsely linking Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's daughter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, protecting her reputation from malicious online attacks.
Puri's clarification came after Gandhi claimed that the Union minister's name has also figured in 'Epstein Files' released in the US.
India possesses two months of fuel stockpiles and faces no supply concerns despite global energy disruptions, according to Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. However, state-run fuel retailers are incurring losses of up to Rs 1 lakh crore in a single quarter due to elevated crude prices and unchanged retail fuel prices, raising questions about the sustainability of these losses.
The government is planning to liberalise the terms and conditions for the sale of the national carrier. The Centre is still pursuing the option of selling the airline's subsidiaries before the airline itself, in order to deal with an outstanding debt of around Rs 27,000 crore.
Puri said Pakistan was a country in "terminal decline" periodically using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.
The Congress party has alleged that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein played a role in shaping the India-Israel relationship after 2014, citing email exchanges made public under the 'Epstein Files'.
Calling such reports baseless, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said there was no such move under consideration.
'OMCs are incurring losses of Rs 1,000 crore per day due to the West Asia crisis.'
The Indian government has issued a stern warning to industrial users who are reportedly procuring cheaper retail fuel instead of industrial-grade fuel, leading to significant losses for state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) and potential local shortages. This diversion, driven by a substantial price difference between retail and bulk diesel, is adversely impacting OMCs, which are absorbing daily losses of approximately 550 crore to keep retail prices stable.
India is well-stocked with inventories of crude oil and key petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, and aviation turbine fuel (ATF), to deal with short-term disruptions as the war intensifies in West Asia, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday.
India has voiced its deep concern over reports of increasing civilian casualties in Lebanon due to Israeli strikes, emphasising the protection of civilians and the importance of international law.
Petrol and diesel prices in India have been increased by Rs 3 per litre each, marking the first rate hike in over four years. This decision follows a period of stable prices during recent state elections, despite rising global crude oil prices and significant losses for fuel retailers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a meeting with senior ministers to assess the impact of the evolving situation in West Asia on India's crude oil, gas, petroleum, power, and fertiliser sectors, focusing on ensuring uninterrupted supply and stable logistics.
Career diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri, who recently retired as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
There is no cause for concern, as the overall situation arising out of the crisis is firmly under control, the Centre informed while briefing political parties at the all-party meet.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval hosted Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman for a dinner meeting, signalling efforts to repair bilateral ties after a period of heightened diplomatic tension.
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die, concluding a Budget session marked by the passage of key legislations and the defeat of a Constitution amendment bill on women's reservation. The session saw frequent opposition protests and discussions on various issues, including the West Asia conflict.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the impact of the West Asia conflict on India's food, energy, and fuel security with senior cabinet ministers. The meeting follows previous discussions and concerns raised about global energy crises and supply chain disruptions.
'Once the currency goes out of the hand, then possibly your major challenge is that it will not come back.'
'Modi is such a Prime Minister who always thinks about Sikhs. All the pending issues of Sikhs, which have not been resolved to date, are being resolved, including the Kartarpur Sahib corridor. There should not be such protests against him, and no Sikh can tolerate this'
He added that opposition parties were assured that their concerns regarding the impact of the West Asia situation on India and the safety of Indian citizens were addressed in detail.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened the Cabinet Committee on Security to address the impact of the West Asia conflict on Indian citizens, focusing on safeguarding them from the conflict's effects and ensuring the smooth flow of essential supplies.
'Nobody explained why. After that there was panic buying, there was hoarding -- and then nothing reached us.'
When asked about Bessent's announcement allowing certain Russian oil sales to India and whether the US is considering any other moves, including tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), Trump said, "If there were some, I would do it just to take a little of the pressure off."
Indian ambassador to the United Nations Hardeep Singh Puri has been elected Chairman of the all important Security Council Committee on Counter-terrorism and two other key committees of this 15-member body.
'The West Asia or the Gulf crisis has shown that what we develop as national infrastructure when things are not as bad as they could be, we forget to plan for adversities.'
24 Indian-flagged vessels with 677 Indian seafarers were currently located west of the Strait of Hormuz, and four vessels with 101 Indian seafarers were stationed east of the strategic waterway.
The Indian government addressed opposition concerns regarding the West Asia crisis in an all-party meeting, outlining its strategy for ensuring the security of the Indian diaspora, fulfilling energy needs, and maintaining diplomatic relations with key partners. The government also dismissed Pakistan's reported mediation efforts.
The government has sharply reduced excise duty on petrol to 3 and diesel to zero, offering major relief to consumers. Here's how the price cut will impact fuel rates and inflation.
In a first, Indian oil public sector undertakings (PSUs) finalised a one-year contract to import around 2.2 million tonnes (mt) of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the US. The LPG import deal comes at a time when negotiations for an India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) are gathering steam. Earlier in the month, US President Donald Trump had said Washington and New Delhi were "pretty close" to reaching a fair trade deal.
Indian Youth Congress President Uday Bhanu Chib was arrested after a disruptive shirtless protest at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi, leading to further investigation into potential conspiracy and funding.
Indian restaurants are grappling with a severe LPG shortage due to the West Asia conflict, forcing them to innovate with menus and cooking methods or face potential closures, impacting the food industry and consumers across the country.
Rijiju, however, did not specify when and who will give notice for privilege motion against Gandhi. It is believed that someone from treasury benches in the Lok Sabha will do so.
Replacing over a third of India's oil imports at competitive rates is going to be a challenge, said traders from State refiners, even though some progress was made in the last two months.
There is no payment problem for Russian crude, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday. He said there is no proposal to cut retail fuel prices at the moment. Addressing a press conference, the minister said India enjoys a buyers' position and foreign suppliers are approaching Indian companies with offers to sell oil.
Ongoing strategic investment into assets abroad, alongside gas purchases being made by India, will soon allow the country to access as much gas as it needs, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on the sidelines of India Energy Week (IEW 2025).
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