After Work from home, PM Modi suggests schools to opt for online classes as West Asia crisis continues

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday renewed his appeal for economic restraint, urging citizens to support the government’s austerity measures amid ongoing disruptions linked to the West Asia crisis.

He asked people to avoid hosting destination weddings overseas, cut down on edible oil consumption, and postpone gold purchases as global instability continues to impact prices and supply chains. The Prime Minister also now suggested that schools consider temporary online classes where feasible.

Reiterating earlier appeals, he called for reduced fuel usage, greater reliance on public transport and electric vehicles, and encouraged citizens to limit unnecessary foreign travel. He also advised adopting work-from-home arrangements, similar to pandemic-era practices, wherever possible.

The appeal comes as a fragile ceasefire persists in West Asia, a region critical for India’s imports of crude oil and natural gas, and where tensions have led to wider global economic uncertainty.

He also noted that the ongoing West Asia conflict, which began on February 28 following joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has had negative consequences for India by disrupting global supply chains and pushing up international oil prices.

"First came the COVID-19 crisis, followed by global economic challenges, and now rising tensions in West Asia. The impact of all these circumstances is continuously being felt across the entire world, and India is certainly not immune to it," the Prime Minister said.

He described the situation arising from the conflict in West Asia as one of the major crises of this decade.

"However, just as we were united in combating COVID-19, we will undoubtedly overcome this crisis as well," PM Modi told the gathering.

He noted digital technology has made many things easier and stressed the need to prioritise virtual meetings and work-from-home arrangements in both government and private offices.

"I would also urge certain schools to prioritise the arrangement of online classes for the time being," the PM said.

He said his government was making continuous efforts to ensure minimal impact of the crisis on common citizens, but stressed that the country needed the power of public participation.

"As citizens of India, we must prioritise our duties," he asserted, adding that whenever the country faced war or any major crisis in previous decades, citizens fulfilled their responsibilities upon the government's appeal.

"Today, too, there is a need for all of us to come together and fulfil our duties, thereby alleviating the burden placed on the nation's resources," he insisted.

He pointed out India spends "hundreds of thousands of crores of rupees" in foreign currency on imports and noted that prices of goods sourced from abroad were rising sharply while global supply chains had been disrupted.

"Through every small and big effort, we must reduce our consumption of imported products and refrain from personal activities that involve the expenditure of foreign currency," the PM maintained.

The Prime Minister appealed to people to avoid foreign vacations and destination weddings abroad, saying such activities involve significant expenditure of foreign currency.

"It is essential that we celebrate our vacations right here in India," he stated, adding that places like the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar in Gujarat could serve as a major tourism and destination wedding hub.

Referring to crude oil imports, Modi said a large part of the world sources oil from the same region (West Asia) that is currently embroiled in conflict.

"Therefore, until the situation returns to normalcy, we must all come together to undertake small, collective resolutions," he said, adding that he had raised the issue during his visits to Karnataka and Telangana on Sunday.

The Prime Minister appealed to citizens to reduce the use of petrol and diesel wherever possible and switch to Metro services, electric buses and public transport.

"Promote carpooling; those who own cars should carry multiple passengers in a single vehicle, and those who own electric two-wheelers should step forward to assist others," he said.

The Prime Minister called for reduced consumption of edible oils, saying the country spends significant foreign exchange on their imports.

"A substantial amount of the nation's wealth also flows abroad due to the import of gold. I urge all of you to defer the purchase of gold until conditions return to normal; there is no immediate necessity for it (gold buying)," he stressed.

Modi urged people to promote local products and advised cultivators to opt for natural farming to reduce reliance on fertilizers, another major imported commodities for India.

"The need of the hour is to transform 'vocal for local' into a mass movement and to embrace local products instead of foreign goods," he said.

PM Modi mentioned that the collective efforts of 140 crore citizens could serve as India’s greatest strength, adding that no crisis should be allowed to slow the country’s development trajectory.

Following the programme, the Prime Minister also carried out a 1.5-kilometre roadshow in Vadodara.