New Delhi, Apr 1: The Centre on Wednesday said it was closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia while taking coordinated steps to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply, availability of agricultural inputs, stability in prices, and the safety of Indian nationals in the region.

At a media briefing held at the National Media Centre, senior officials from the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas, External Affairs, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and Civil Aviation shared updates on sector-wise preparedness and response measures.

Adequate seeds, fertilisers and agrochemicals available The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said that there is comfortable availability of seeds for the Kharif 2026 season.

It said that against a requirement of 166.46 lakh quintals, availability stands at 185.74 lakh quintals, leaving a surplus of around 19.29 lakh quintals.

The ministry said that surplus stocks exist across major crops including paddy (80.9 lakh quintals), soybean (35.7 lakh quintals), groundnut (21.1 lakh quintals), maize (11.9 lakh quintals) and pulses.

It said priority allocation of LPG and PNG had been ensured for seed drying, particularly for maize, along with uninterrupted fuel supply through oil marketing companies.

The ministry said that seed inputs for both Kharif and Rabi 2026 are in place.

It said that fertiliser requirement for Kharif 2026 had been assessed at 390.54 LMT, of which 180 LMT (46 percent) was already available as opening stock, higher than the usual pre-season level of around 33 percent.

The ministry said that efforts were underway to further augment availability, with officials asserting that there will be no shortage of agricultural inputs or chemicals at any stage.

It said that states had.been directed to prevent hoarding, black marketing, cross-border smuggling and diversion of fertilisers for non-agricultural use.

The ministry said that monitoring mechanisms including local committees under the Dharti Mata Bachao Andolan were being activated.

On agrochemicals, it said India had sufficient availability.

The ministry said that against a total estimated demand of 74,266 MT, production during 2025-26 (up to February) stands at 2,61,099 MT.

It said that weekly monitoring, crackdown on spurious pesticides, and promotion of sustainable practices including integrated pest management were underway.

The ministry said that prices of agro commodities were reported to be largely stable, with tomato, onion and potato prices within range and showing slight improvement.

Officials from the petroleum ministry said all refineries were operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories, and sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel were being maintained.

They said that the domestic LPG production had been increased to support consumption.

Officials said that retail outlets across the country were functioning normally, and there had been no change in the retail prices of petrol and diesel.

They said that to cushion the impact of rising global crude prices, the government had reduced excise duties by Rs 10 per litre on petrol and diesel.

Officials said that the government had also imposed export levies of Rs 21.5 per litre on diesel and Rs 29.5 per litre on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to ensure domestic availability.

The authorities acknowledged instances of panic buying in some areas due to rumours but reiterated that adequate fuel stocks are available nationwide.

They said that states had been advised to counter misinformation and issue regular public briefings.

The authorities said that domestic PNG and CNG transport sectors were receiving 100 percent supply, while industrial and commercial consumers were receiving about 80 percent of their average consumption. They said that urea plants were receiving 70 to 75 percent supply, with additional LNG and RLNG being sourced.

The authorities said that City Gas Distribution (CGD) companies had been directed to prioritise PNG connections for institutions like schools, hostels, and community kitchens.

They said that expansion of CGD networks was being fast-tracked, supported by policy measures including the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution Order, 2026, and accelerated approvals.

The officials said that during March, over 3.25 lakh connections were gasified, 2.85 lakh new connections installed, and 3.5 lakh new consumers registered.

The government said LPG supply continues to be affected by the geopolitical situation but remains stable.

It said that there had been no increase in prices for domestic LPG consumers, and no dry-outs had been reported at distributorships.

The government said that more than 60 lakh domestic LPG cylinders were delivered on Tuesday alone.

It said that online bookings had risen to 92 percent, and Delivery Authentication Code-based deliveries had increased to 81 percent.

The government said that since March 23, more than 3.9 lakh 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders had been sold, including over 65,000 on Tuesday.

It said that commercial LPG supply had reached 70 percent of pre-crisis levels, with priority given to essential sectors.

The government said that an additional 48,000 kilo litres of kerosene had been allocated to states and UTs, with distribution enabled through PSU outlets in PDS SKO-free regions.

It said that states had been empowered under the Essential Commodities Act and LPG Control Order to act against hoarding and black marketing.

The government said that over 2800 raids had been conducted, with around 500 cylinders seized.

It said that oil marketing companies had carried out over 1100 surprise inspections and issued more than 560 show-cause notices.

The government urged people to avoid panic purchases of petrol, diesel, and LPG, and to rely only on official information.

It said that people had been encouraged to use digital booking modes for LPG and adopt alternate fuels such as PNG and electric cooking.

The people have also been advised to conserve energy in daily usage.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said a calibrated 25 percent increase in ATF prices for domestic carriers had been implemented to shield the sector from global volatility.

It said that the move aims to prevent disruption, as fuel accounts for nearly 40 percent of airline operating costs.

Officials said the measure would help maintain affordable airfares and avoid additional surcharges, benefiting over 4.5 lakh daily domestic passengers while ensuring operational stability and cargo movement.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said all Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf region were safe, with no incidents reported in the past 24 hours.

It said that 18 Indian-flagged vessels with 485 Indian crew members remain in the region.

The ministry said that DG Shipping control room has handled 4769 calls and 9599 emails since activation, and facilitated the repatriation of over 964 seafarers.

It said that the port operations across India remain normal with no congestion.

The Ministry of External Affairs said it was closely monitoring the situation and prioritising the safety of Indian nationals.

It said that 1171 Indians, including 818 students, had been assisted to exit Iran via Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The ministry said that since February 28, around 5.98 lakh passengers had returned to India from the region.

It said that additional flights were being operated from Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, while alternate routes were being used due to airspace restrictions in Kuwait and Bahrain.

The ministry said that the Indian missions were operating round-the-clock helplines and providing assistance including visa facilitation, transit support and consular services.

It said that special attention was being given to Indian students to ensure their academic year is not disrupted, with coordination underway for CBSE, ICSE, Kerala Board, JEE and NEET examinations.

The ministry said that three Indian nationals sustained minor injuries in Dubai and were receiving treatment.

It said that two fatalities involving Indian nationals in separate incidents in Iraq and Kuwait were reported, with mortal remains repatriated and assistance extended to families.

The government reiterated that it remains committed to ensuring the safety, welfare and well-being of Indian citizens, while maintaining stability in essential sectors amid the ongoing crisis.

New Delhi, Apr 01: Improving Vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy in vegetarian women can benefit early brain development in babies, a new study has found.

The study, published in the journal BMJ Paediatrics Open, was conducted in two centres located in India and Nepal by a joint team of researchers from both these countries and the UK.

According to Dr Jitender Nagpal, Deputy Medical Director of Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research in Delhi, who led the study in India, the findings provide strong evidence that improving Vitamin B12 intake during pregnancy in vegetarian mothers can benefit early brain development in babies while substantially reducing maternal Vitamin B12 deficiency.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in populations with limited animal source foods and has been linked to delayed infant neurodevelopment and adverse pregnancy outcomes, the study said.

Evidence on the benefits of maternal Vitamin B12 supplementation for improving infant neurodevelopment remains mixed, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where deficiency is prevalent, the study said.

The Vitamin B12 deficiency affects a large proportion of women in South Asia, particularly in populations with low consumption of animal source foods and predominantly vegetarian communities, Dr Nagpal said.

“Despite this high burden, Vitamin B12 remains poorly addressed in routine antenatal care, which continues to focus largely on iron and folic acid. Routine Vitamin B12 supplementation is not currently included in government antenatal guidelines or expert body recommendations in India. As a result, many women enter pregnancy with unrecognised and untreated B12 deficiency, at a time when early brain development is highly sensitive to maternal nutrition,” he said.

In a multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial, vegetarian women in their first trimester of pregnancy were enrolled. They received either a higher daily dose of Vitamin B12 (250 micrograms) or a lower dose (50 micrograms) from early pregnancy until six months after delivery.

Among 531 mother-infant pairs followed up, women in the higher dose group showed markedly greater improvement in Vitamin B12 status, with a relative reduction in biochemical Vitamin B12 deficiency exceeding 30 per cent compared to the lower dose group, Dr Nagpal said.

Crucially, these maternal improvements were accompanied by developmental benefits in infants.

“Babies born to mothers receiving the higher dose scored significantly higher on early mental development assessments at 9-12 months of age, while motor development was similar between groups,” Dr Nagpal stated.

Although the individual effect size was modest, even small gains in early cognitive development can translate into substantial population-level benefits in learning potential, educational attainment, and long-term human capital, he emphasised.

Together, these findings suggest that optimising Vitamin B12 intake during pregnancy could represent a simple, safe and low-cost refinement of antenatal nutrition strategies to reduce deficiency, and translate into important population-level gains in learning potential and long-term human capital, Dr Nagpal said.

New Delhi, Apr 01: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review measures taken by various Ministries/Departments and also discussed further initiatives to be taken in the context of the ongoing West Asia conflict, at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg today. This was the second special CCS meeting on this issue.

Cabinet Secretary briefed about the action taken to ensure supply of petroleum products, particularly LNG/LPG, and sufficient power availability. Sources are being diversified for procurement of LPG with new inflows from different countries. Similarly, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is being sourced from different countries. He further briefed that LPG prices for domestic consumers have remained the same and Anti-diversion enforcement to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG is being conducted regularly.

Initiatives have also been taken to expand Piped Natural Gas connections. Measures like exempting the gas-based power plants with a capacity of 7-8 GW from gas pooling mechanism and increasing of rake for positioning more coal at thermal power stations etc. have also been taken to ensure availability of power during the peak summer months.

Further, interventions proposed to be taken for emerging challenges in various other sectors such as agriculture, civil aviation, shipping and logistics were also discussed.

Various efforts like maintaining urea production to meet requirements, coordinating with overseas supplies for DAP/NPKS suppliers are being taken to ensure fertilizer supply. State governments are being requested to curb black marketing, hoarding, and diversion of fertilizers through daily monitoring, raids, and strict action.

The retail prices of food commodities have been stable over the past one month. Control Rooms have been set up for constant monitoring and interaction with States/UTs on prices and enforcement of Essential Commodities Act. The prices of agricultural products , vegetables and fruits are also being monitored.

Efforts to globally diversify our sources for energy, fertilizers and other supply chains, and international initiatives for securing safe passage of vessels through the strait of Hormuz and ongoing diplomatic efforts are being taken.

Enhanced coordination, real-time communication, and proactive measures across central, state, and district levels to drive effective information dissemination and public awareness amid the evolving crisis is being undertaken.

Prime Minister assessed the availability of critical needs for the common man. He discussed availability of fertilisers in the country and steps being taken to ensure its availability in the Kharif and Rabi seasons. He said that all efforts must be made to safeguard the citizens from the impact of this conflict. Prime Minister also emphasised smooth flow of authentic information to the public to prevent misinformation and rumour mongering.

Prime Minister directed all concerned departments to take all possible measures to ameliorate the problems of citizens and sectors affected by the ongoing global situation.