Centre lifts restrictions on sale of petrol, diesel from July 1 amid easing supply situation

📌 Summary:

• The Union government removed all restrictions and caps on the retail sale of diesel and petrol, effective July 1, 2026, citing an easing supply situation
• It removed the cap of 200 litres per consumer per day on diesel retail sale and the bar on industrial consumers buying fuel from retail pumps
• This builds on the government's June 25 order that restored industrial and commercial LPG supply to pre-West Asia-war levels and withdrew sector-specific allocation caps

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Economy — energy security, the impact of the West Asia conflict on India's fuel supply, and the rollback of crisis-era market controls

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Restrictions lifted from July 1, 2026
• Earlier diesel retail cap was 200 litres per consumer per day
• The June 25 order restored commercial and industrial LPG supplies

🔑 Key Term: Energy security — assured availability of energy at affordable prices, a critical concern for India given its heavy crude-oil import dependence.