External affairs minister S. Jaishankar travelled to Belgium on Sunday to interact with his counterparts from the 27 member states of the European Union, marking his first foreign visit since the start of Israel and the US’s war against Iran last month.. India’s Jaishankar in Belgium for EU Foreign Affairs Council talks, focusing on trade, regional security, and well-being of Indians in West Asia. Jaishankar, who is visiting Brussels at the invitation of European Union foreign and security policy chief Kaja Kallas, will participate in the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, the External Affairs Ministry said.. During the two-day visit, Jaishankar will also hold meetings with the leadership of the EU and his counterparts from Belgium and other EU member states.. His visit comes in the wake of the India-EU Summit in January, when the two sides concluded negotiations on a free trade deal, and is expected to deepen India’s strategic partnership with the EU.. Ahead of his departure for Brussels, Jaishankar spoke to his counterparts from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to discuss the latest developments surrounding the conflict in West Asia.. Jaishankar said on social media that he and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan exchanged views on various aspects of the regional situation on Saturday night. He said in another post that he had discussed ongoing developments related to the conflict in West Asia with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday night.. During an ongoing outreach to the leadership of West Asian countries, the Indian government has emphasised the security and well-being of 10 million Indians living in the region. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are home to close to eight million Indians. 

 Millions of Indians scrambling to secure cooking gas refills have unexpectedly pushed a little-known utility app to the top of the country’s download charts this week. The surge was so sharp that the platform overtook popular apps like ChatGPT, Flipkart and JioHotstar on app stores.. Not ChatGPT or Flipkart, IndianOil One app is India’s top download right now. The official LPG booking platform, IndianOil One, developed by Indian Oil Corporation has climbed to the number one position on the Google Play Store as millions of Indian households attempt to secure gas cylinders during the supply crunch amid West Asia war.. According to download trend tracker Sesortower.com, the IndianOil One app has held the top position in free downloads in India for several consecutive days. On the Google Play Store, it ranked first between March 13 and March 15, while on Apple’s App Store it has remained the most downloaded free app since March 11.. Screengrab from sensortower.com website. What is IndianOil ONE?. IndianOil ONE is a smartphone application developed by Indian Oil Corporation to help customers manage fuel-related services digitally.. Through the app, users can:. Book LPG cylinders. Check booking status and delivery updates. Locate nearby petrol pumps and IndianOil distributors. View LPG connection and account details. Track loyalty points and rewards. The platform effectively serves as a one-stop digital service for IndianOil customers, allowing them to manage LPG and fuel-related requirements without visiting distributors in person.. Tensions in West Asia add to supply worries. The war has affected energy shipments across key maritime routes. Iran has almost blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor through which natural gas shipments from Gulf nations such as Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman are transported to global markets.. The disruption has raised concerns over the availability of cooking gas, prompting consumers to rush to book refills.. The sudden rise in demand has triggered panic bookings across the country, placing LPG booking systems under heavy traffic. Consumers are rushing to place refill requests amid fears of delays and possible shortages in deliveries. 

 A disruption in imported natural gas supplies, triggered by constraints on energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, has led to curbs on industrial gas consumption in Gujarat, forcing several factories to scale down production even as authorities allow temporary use of alternate fuels and the Centre moves to secure LPG supplies for households.. Gas supply cuts in Gujarat force factories to scale back output; Centre allows alternate fuels and moves to secure LPG for households (Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times). The impact is being felt across several gas-intensive sectors, including ceramics, textiles, glass and chemicals. In the Morbi ceramic manufacturing cluster, more than 100 factories that rely on natural gas to run their kilns have shut down production following the reduction in gas supplies.. In Surat, one of the country’s largest textile hubs, thousands of units rely on natural gas for boilers and heating processes. “There are around 55,000 textile units in Surat, of which around 12,000 run on gas. So far, the crisis is not very severe. We have urged the state government to act against those involved in black marketing of LPG cylinders. The industry can be impacted if the war lasts long and no solution is found,” said Ashok Jirawala, president of the Federation of Gujarat Weavers’ Welfare Association.. Also Read: LPG shortage hits Bengal: IIT Kharagpur switches to firewood; hosp, govt canteens alter menus. Some industries have already adjusted production levels following the curbs. In the Vatwa industrial estate on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, which houses more than 250 chemical manufacturing units, several factories have scaled down output. Similar adjustments have been reported from textile processing units and glass factories in South Gujarat.. Almost a fourth of India’s natural gas requirements has been impacted by force majeure conditions enforced by foreign suppliers because of the West Asia conflict, and the government is procuring supplies through alternative routes to overcome the shortfall.. Nearly 50% of India’s oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway that has effectively been shut by Iran following the start of its conflict with Israel and the US. Fuel and gas prices have surged, heightening worries in India, which depends on imports to meet around 85% of its energy needs.. Centre prioritises household gas, transport fuel. These curbs follow the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas’s notification on March 9 of the Natural Gas (Supply Regulation) Order, 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act to regulate natural gas allocation across sectors amid supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict.. The order directs that available natural gas be supplied on a priority basis to essential sectors including piped natural gas for households, compressed natural gas used in transport and LPG production.. Under the order, these sectors will recei 

 A disruption in imported natural gas supplies, triggered by constraints on energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, has led to curbs on industrial gas consumption in Gujarat, forcing several factories to scale down production even as authorities allow temporary use of alternate fuels and the Centre moves to secure LPG supplies for households.. Gas supply cuts in Gujarat force factories to scale back output; Centre allows alternate fuels and moves to secure LPG for households (Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times). The impact is being felt across several gas-intensive sectors, including ceramics, textiles, glass and chemicals. In the Morbi ceramic manufacturing cluster, more than 100 factories that rely on natural gas to run their kilns have shut down production following the reduction in gas supplies.. In Surat, one of the country’s largest textile hubs, thousands of units rely on natural gas for boilers and heating processes. “There are around 55,000 textile units in Surat, of which around 12,000 run on gas. So far, the crisis is not very severe. We have urged the state government to act against those involved in black marketing of LPG cylinders. The industry can be impacted if the war lasts long and no solution is found,” said Ashok Jirawala, president of the Federation of Gujarat Weavers’ Welfare Association.. Also Read: LPG shortage hits Bengal: IIT Kharagpur switches to firewood; hosp, govt canteens alter menus. Some industries have already adjusted production levels following the curbs. In the Vatwa industrial estate on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, which houses more than 250 chemical manufacturing units, several factories have scaled down output. Similar adjustments have been reported from textile processing units and glass factories in South Gujarat.. Almost a fourth of India’s natural gas requirements has been impacted by force majeure conditions enforced by foreign suppliers because of the West Asia conflict, and the government is procuring supplies through alternative routes to overcome the shortfall.. Nearly 50% of India’s oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway that has effectively been shut by Iran following the start of its conflict with Israel and the US. Fuel and gas prices have surged, heightening worries in India, which depends on imports to meet around 85% of its energy needs.. Centre prioritises household gas, transport fuel. These curbs follow the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas’s notification on March 9 of the Natural Gas (Supply Regulation) Order, 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act to regulate natural gas allocation across sectors amid supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict.. The order directs that available natural gas be supplied on a priority basis to essential sectors including piped natural gas for households, compressed natural gas used in transport and LPG production.. Under the order, these sectors will recei 

 New Delhi, The nominations and recommendations for the Padma awards to be announced on Republic Day 2027 for people’s exceptional achievements and service began on Sunday.. Govt starts receiving Padma award nominations for Republic Day 2027. The last date for filing the nominations is July 31, 2026, a government statement said.. “The nominations and recommendations for Padma Awards will only be received online on the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal https://awards.gov.in,” it said.. The Padma Awards, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, are amongst the highest civilian awards of the country.. The awards are being announced on the occasion of the Republic Day every year since their institution in 1954, to recognise “work of distinction”, it said.. These awards are given for distinguished and exceptional achievements and service in all fields and disciplines, such as Art, Literature and Education, Sports, Medicine, Social Work, Science and Engineering, Public Affairs, Civil Service, Trade and Industry etc, the government said.. “All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these awards. Government servants including those working with PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not eligible for Padma Awards,” it said.. The statement said the government is “committed” to transform Padma Awards into “people’s Padma”.. “All citizens are, therefore, requested to make nominations/recommendations, including self-nomination. Concerted efforts may be made to identify talented persons whose excellence and achievements really deserve to be recognised from amongst women, weaker sections of the society, SCs and STs, divyang persons and who are doing selfless service to the society,” it said.. The nominations and recommendations should contain all relevant details specified in the format available on the portal, clearly bringing out the distinguished and exceptional achievements and service of the person recommended in her and his respective field and discipline, it said.. “Details in this regard are also available under the heading ‘Awards and Medals’ on the website of the Ministry of Home Affairs and on the Padma Awards Portal ,” it said.. The statutes and rules relating to these awards are also available on the website, the statement added.. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.