LPG Gas Cylinder Price Hike India Live Updates: Pondicherry University prepone exams, directs students to vacate hostels by May 1 amid LPG shortage

A deepening LPG shortage, triggered by the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, is crippling Telangana's hospitality sector, forcing hotels to shut, menus to shrink, and migrant workers to head back home amid dwindling job prospects.A shortfall of over 50% in commercial LPG cylinders has hit hundreds of hotels, restaurants and fast food outlets, pushing many to either scale down operations or close entirely. The crisis has begun to ripple through the workforce, with thousands of migrant workers — who form the backbone of the sector — facing uncertainty.

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Pondicherry University has decided to prepone the examinations from May 6 to April 21 and has directed the students to vacate the hostels by May 1 due to a shortage of LPG, much to the chagrin of the students. In a circular, University registrar R Gunasekaran announced the revised academic calendar for the academic year 2025-26, reducing the number of working days to 79 from 90 “due to administrative reasons.” The summer vacation for all undergraduate/ postgraduate students will commence on May 1. The deans of schools, heads of departments and centres were told to direct the students to vacate the hostel by May 1. The Students Federation of India, Pondicherry University unit (SFI PU), condemned the arbitrary decision of the university to prepone the examinations and to direct the students to vacate the hostel. In a statement, the students’ forum demanded immediate withdrawal of the university’s decision and restoration of the original schedule. The university administration should prioritise students’ academic well-being over administrative convenience and ensure that no student is penalised for circumstances beyond their control, said the statement.

The challenges, pain and hassles which Surekha Gaikwad, a professional maid, and her family of 7 have been going through because of LPG cylinder shortage is enough to trump authorities and oil firms claims that things are in control and there is no need to panic.Gaikwad, a resident of Krishnanagar in Mohammadwadi, works in multiple households alongwith her daughter-in-law and daughter. "Around 18 days ago, our only LPG cylinder was over. Since then, our lives have changed and struggle doubled. We booked a new one. However our agency's point of contact, whom we contacted whenever we needed cylinder, refused to answer our phones even after multiple attempts. Finally, right outside our home, we made a ‘chulha' (oven) with some bricks so that we can cook," Gaikwad told TOI.

Commercial LPG cylinders have begun reaching some restaurants in the city following recent govt orders allowing additional allocation, offering partial relief to the hospitality sector that is battle shortage of the cooking gas. However, inconsistent and inadequate supply continues to disrupt operations, with restaurateurs saying they are receiving barely a fraction of their requirement. The development follows a state govt communication, based on directions from the Union petroleum ministry, which increased commercial LPG availability by an additional 20% over the earlier restricted supply, subject to priority-based distribution. While the move has initiated some flow of cylinders to eateries, supply remains uneven as essential services continue to be prioritised.

Despite the state govt's announcement of a 20% increase in commercial LPG supply, the situation on the ground remains strained, with hoteliers continuing to face acute shortages. A limited number of LPG distributors received fresh consignments on Wednesday evening, but deliveries to hotels and restaurants have not commenced due to the absence of clear directives from oil marketing companies, sources said. The state's move followed the Centre's direction to raise commercial LPG allocation from 30% to 50% for hotels, restaurants, dhabas, and similar establishments.

‘Atmanirbharta' or self-reliance is not merely an attractive slogan; it has to be converted into a reality through hard work, said BSP national president Mayawati while referring to the hardships faced by people due to the crisis of LPG, petrol and petroleum products in the country, given the ongoing America-Iran war." Can over-dependence on private sector make the country self-dependent and self-reliant?," she questioned. Meanwhile, with her party in the poll mode already, she also asked the central govt how will women from weaker sections grow and prosper when they are not given a separate quota under women's reservation? While reviewing the poll preparedness of the party's UP unit on Tuesday, she said that like opposition parties, BSP should not give patronage to criminal elements. She also asked her party men to give representation to all castes and communities during shortlisting candidates for elections.

Complaints of "ghost" domestic LPG cylinder deliveries, where consumers either receive delivery messages without booking a cylinder or do not receive the booked cylinder despite it being marked delivered, are mounting across various cities and rural locations, leaving households unable to place fresh bookings due to mandatory waiting periods amid the ongoing conflict-prompted fuel crisis.Working professional Rahul Bansal from Mohali in Punjab told TOI that he had booked a cylinder recently and paid Rs 922 online for it, but never received the delivery. "After around 15 days, I got a message saying my LPG cylinder had been delivered, but it wasn't," he said.

Chandigarh and Delhi have emerged as the biggest consumers of domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG/cooking gas), with annual consumption in both cities significantly higher than the national average.As per data shared by the petroleum ministry in Parliament, beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in the national capital consumed 7.4 cylinders in 2025-26, while those in Chandigarh used 7.2 cylinders, against the national average of 4.8. Among non-PMUY consumers, usage was even higher. Households in Chandigarh consumed nearly 9.6 cylinders in FY26, while those in Delhi used 9.2 cylinders.The national average for nonPMUY consumers in the justended fiscal year was 6.8 cylinders. The govt pro-rated LPG consumption data from April 2025-Jan 2026 to estimate the annual average.

Civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday urged Union petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri to ramp up Auto LPG availability, stating there is a shortfall of 55 metric tonne (MT) of it per day in Telangana due to prevailing supply constraints.Seeking an urgent intervention to address the shortage of Auto LPG, Uttam Kumar Reddy, in his letter to the Union minister, stated that nearly a lakh auto-rickshaws run on LPG in the state. All these autos were now facing disruptions due to a daily shortfall of around 55 MT of LPG. The shortage has led to dry-outs at a majority of private outlets, affecting public transport services and causing inconvenience to commuters, he stated.Uttam highlighted the fact that Telangana was strictly adhering to the Centre's directives amid the ongoing Middle East crisis — ensuring 100% supply of domestic LPG and regulating commercial LPG, and that the Auto LPG segment has been significantly impacted.

Residents staged a protest on Tuesday morning after being denied LPG cylinders at a local gas agency, leading to blocking of traffic for nearly two hours on the busy stretch of National Highway-139 in Phulwarisharif area.The agitation began around 7am, when hundreds of consumers reached the agency to collect their booked cylinders. However, they were told that the supply truck had not yet arrived.