Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced a slew of austerity and fuel-saving measures, including ‘work from home’ for government employees twice a week, staggered office timings, and a push for public transport under the 90-day ‘Mera Bharat, Mera Yogdan’ campaign.

Ms. Gupta said 50% of government meetings would now be conducted online. Colleges and universities in Delhi will be requested to hold non-practical classes, guest lectures, and administrative meetings virtually.

The Chief Minister said the campaign aims to involve both government institutions and citizens in building “a more self-reliant and resource-conscious India”.

The initiative focuses on fuel conservation, increased use of public transport, promotion of Made-in-India products, and responsible consumption practices, she said.

To facilitate the implementation of work-from-home measures, the Labour Department will establish a single-window help desk and coordinate with the Centre to resolve operational concerns. The Delhi government will also engage directly with major institutions and companies to encourage participation, Ms. Gupta said.

‘Metro Monday’

The Chief Minister said every Monday would now be observed as ‘Metro Monday’, under which Ministers and senior officials would be encouraged to use the Delhi Metro and other forms of public transport. To reduce traffic congestion, staggered office timings have also been introduced.

Delhi government offices will function from 10.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. while Municipal Corporation of Delhi offices will operate from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Since Central government offices function from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., the revised timings are expected to ease peak-hour traffic across the city.

Ms. Gupta also appealed to citizens to observe a ‘No Vehicle Day’ every week by voluntarily avoiding the use of private vehicles. She said the Delhi government will not purchase any new petrol, diesel, CNG, or hybrid vehicles for the next six months.

The Chief Minister said Ministers and senior officers of the government will not undertake official foreign visits for the next one year. She also appealed to residents to voluntarily limit non-essential foreign travel. A verified list of Indian electronic and domestic products will be released to help consumers identify indigenous alternatives.

Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has proposed stronger integration between bus services and the metro network in Delhi to boost public transport usage amid concerns over rising crude oil prices due to the conflict in West Asia.

In an office memorandum sent to the Cabinet Secretariat on Tuesday, the Ministry stressed the need for “prudent mobility and austerity measures” in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “economic self-defence” through reduced dependence on imported oil.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seven-point call to action for the citizens of India lays bare the severity of the impact of the West Asia crisis. Further, apart from its implications, Mr. Modi’s message is problematic for two other key reasons: its timing and content. A key part of his message was to urge people to work from home and reduce their fuel usage. A more effective approach might have been to lead by example. Yet, Mr. Modi’s message comes days after he and his Cabinet colleagues flew all over the country and organised roadshows to campaign for the recent elections. Neither did any of his pre-election speeches mention these issues. His message also comes on the back of daily reassurances by his government’s officials that there was nothing to worry. Clearly, there is. The Prime Minister’s message also follows various Ministers’ attempts to heap praise on him for not raising petrol and diesel prices. A decision not to further burden the common man is welcome, but the flip side is that it fails to impress upon them the need to curtail consumption. The government took that strategic call before the elections, and is now trying to dilute it. Perhaps a hike in fuel prices will follow soon. The Prime Minister’s speech also coincided with a similar call to action for Indian corporates by the Confederation of Indian Industry. This kind of coordinated messaging points to a dire situation. Several of the Prime Minister’s suggestions might also have other negative impacts that could be more serious than the problems they are trying to address. Some others might simply not be as effective as he hopes.

If farmers stop using chemical fertilizers, as he has urged, the immediate impact will be on crop output at a time when El Niño is already set to hurt it. High-frequency indicators are already revealing the economic damage of the West Asia crisis. This will only exacerbate the situation. The suggestion to stop foreign travel will conserve foreign exchange, but Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data up to February 2026 shows that Indians’ foreign travel spending in 2025-26 was already down by 3%. March, the first month after the Iran war broke out, is likely to have seen an even sharper decline. The real pressure on the rupee and India’s foreign exchange is because foreign institutional investors are pulling out while the RBI is using valuable dollars to shore up the falling currency. Urging Indians to buy local is another way of asking them to consume less, since purely domestic supply is not nearly enough to cater to the demand. Asking them to buy less gold is also likely to be futile. All this means that the economy is in for a hard time over the next few months — a warning the Prime Minister should have delivered much earlier, elections or no elections.