The Centre on Friday announced a Rs 10 per litre cut in central excise duty on petrol and diesel. The excise duty on petrol has been reduced to Rs 3 per litre from Rs 13 earlier, while diesel duty has been cut to zero from Rs 10 per litre. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri highlighted the global surge in crude oil prices, noting that the government absorbed financial strain to shield citizens. The US-Israel conflict involving Iran has disrupted oil and gas exports from the wider West Asia region. Leaders across the country have reacted to the cuts.