BRICS Meet India flags serious concerns over West Asia crisis, unilateral sanctions
India on Thursday flagged grave concerns over the West Asia crisis and its impact on energy supplies and maritime stability in the Strait of Hormuz and urged BRICS nations to develop “practical ways" to navigate “unprecedented" geopolitical and economic uncertainty as well as “unilateral coercive" sanctions. In his address at the opening day of a two-day BRICS conclave in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted, without naming specific nations, that respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity must anchor international relations, maintaining that “dialogue and diplomacy" offer the only sustainable path to conflict resolution. Jaishankar said India stands ready to contribute constructively towards de-escalation efforts and to support initiatives aimed at restoring stability while noting that “peace cannot be piecemeal" and “it is essential to uphold international law, protect civilians, and avoid targeting public infrastructure". He also underlined the importance of new members “fully" appreciating and subscribing to the BRICS’ consensus mechanism on various important issues, remarks that came amid sharp differences between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran over the West Asia conflict. It is learnt that there were heated exchanges between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar during one of the two sessions at the conclave and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov intervened to cool the tempers. Iran and the UAE have been sparring in recent weeks over Iran’s alleged attacks on energy infrastructure in the UAE that has resulted in BRICS failing to come out with a consensus statement on the West Asia crisis. BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, with Indonesia joining in 2025. “It is essential for the smooth advancement of BRICS that later members fully appreciate and subscribe to the BRICS’ consensus on various important issues," Jaishankar said. In his remarks, he also strongly pitched for ensuring safe and unimpeded maritime flows through the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, and voiced concerns over the “grave humanitarian implications" of the conflict in Gaza. The India-hosted meet assumed greater significance as the influential bloc grapples with the economic consequences of the West Asia crisis, particularly the severe energy supply disruptions, and Washington’s policy on trade and tariffs.
Two-day work from home, Metro travel to save fuel in Delhi
The Delhi Government on Thursday announced a slew of measures, including two days of work from home for government offices and use of Metro trains by ministers and officers on Mondays. The steps are part of a sweeping 90-day public participation campaign, “Mera Bharat, Mera Yogdan”, aimed at promoting fuel conservation, responsible consumption and support for made-in-India products. Announcing the initiative at the Delhi Secretariat, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the campaign was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “nation first” appeal and would seek to turn individual responsibility into a mass movement across the Capital.
As part of the initiative, the Delhi Government announced major administrative and lifestyle changes to reduce fuel use and encourage sustainable practices. A two-day work-from-home system will now be implemented every week in all non-essential government departments, while private companies have also been advised to adopt similar arrangements, wherever possible. To cut fuel consumption, the government has reduced official petrol allowances for government vehicles by up to 20 per cent and announced that no new petrol, diesel, CNG or hybrid vehicles will be purchased for the next six months. Every Monday will now be observed as “Metro Monday”, encouraging ministers, officers and employees to use public transport.
The government has also introduced staggered office timings to ease traffic congestion and prepared special routes for 58 feeder bus services connecting 29 government colonies with nearby Metro stations. Employees using public transport regularly would receive additional incentives, the CM said. In another major decision, ministers and officials will avoid official foreign tours for one year, while 50 per cent of official meetings will be conducted online to reduce travel expenditure and fuel usage. Large government conferences and events will also remain restricted for the next three months.
