Customs duty on import of COVID-19 vaccines and medicines, medical oxygen waived for three months
The Hindu
The government has decided to exempt basics customs duty on import of COVID-19 vaccines, and the basic customs duty and health cess on import of medical grade Oxygen and other equipment related to pro
The government has decided to exempt basics customs duty on import of COVID-19 vaccines, and the basic customs duty and health cess on import of medical grade Oxygen and other equipment related to providing oxygen to patients, for a period of three months. These decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister to review steps taken to boost oxygen availability in the country, the finance ministry said on Saturday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Health Minister Harsha Vardhan and AIIMS director Randeep Guleria were among those present at the meeting. “The PM emphasized that there was an immediate need to augment the supply of medical grade oxygen as well as equipment required for patient care both at home and in hospitals. PM stressed that all ministries and departments need to work in synergy to increase availability of oxygen and medical supplies,” said a statement from the ministry.
The latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) by MoS&PI reveals a transformative shift in India’s economic landscape. For the first time in over a decade, granular data on Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) highlights a significant decline in the proportional share of food spending—a classic validation of Engel’s Law as real incomes rise. Between 1999 and 2024, both rural and urban consumption pivoted away from staple-heavy diets toward protein-rich foods, health, education, and conveyance. As Indian households move beyond subsistence, these shifting Indian household spending patterns offer vital insights for social sector policy, poverty estimation, and the lived realities of an expanding middle-income population.












