
Government defers plan to impose excise duty on unblended petrol and diesel
The Hindu
The levy will now be implemented from November 1 for petrol and April 1, 2023 for diesel
The government has deferred the plan announced in the Union Budget to impose an excise duty of ₹2 on unblended petrol and diesel from October 1, 2022.
The levy will now be implemented from November 1 for such petrol and for unblended diesel from April 1, 2023.

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.












