In the coming days, govt is expected to relax some of the norms, such as postponing the implementation of a quality control order on consumer electronics by six months, to create domestic production capability.Induction cookers have around 60% import component, including PCB and microcrystalline glass, while the vessels used for cooking need a layer of coating which is also imported in large quantities. Industry executives have sought concessions, including lower import duty on certain inputs as well as a cut in GST.The initial rush for cylinders resulted in consumers flocking to stores and e-commerce sites, resulting in a stockout on several online platforms.Industry sources said that they have placed orders for cooktops, which are expected to land over the next few weeks, including through air freight. A senior govt official said govt wants to ensure adequate availability and reasonable pricing of induction cooktops.Separately, govt is also pushing factories, canteens and restaurants with large kitchens to shift from LPG or piped gas to electric cooking. Industry estimates suggest that converting an industrial kitchen from LPG to induction may cost about Rs 15 lakh, compared with annual LPG costs of about Rs 50 lakh. This could result in annual savings of Rs 35 lakh, and a total payback period of around three years, as electric kitchens are about three times more expensive to set up.Already, as reported by TOI in its Chennai edition, companies such as engineering firm Danfoss India, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles and auto components maker ZF have moved to electric cooking. In an exchange filing, Jubilant Foodworks, which has franchisee arrangements with several players, including Domino’s Pizza, said it is working on alternate energy sources like electricity and piped natural gas to conserve LPG.

Several companies making induction cooktops had seen an increase in prices when demand surged initially but most have seen the value erosion since the start of the war in Iran.

In such a scenario, players like Praggnanandhaa need to capitalise on winning chances to stay within touching distance of the leader. Friday presented one such opportunity. Facing Andrey Esipenko, who remains a winless soul in the tournament, the Indian had the advantage of playing with the white pieces, giving him the initiative of moving first and dictating the flow of the game.Esipenko, rated 2698 and known for occasional inaccuracies under pressure, is among the lower-rated players in the elite eight-grandmaster line-up. Playing with whites on the back of a rest day, Praggnanandhaa appeared well-placed even before the first move, especially against an opponent many consider the weak link in the fray.As soon as the game began, the 20-year-old opted for the Réti Opening. By move 10, both players had exchanged a knight and a pawn. Praggnanandhaa’s 12.Ba6 was followed by a retreat to 19.Bd3, indicating a lack of clear attacking prospects. It was particularly surprising to see Praggnanandhaa struggle to make any meaningful breakthrough, given his reputation as one of the most incisive attacking players in the circuit with the white pieces.With neither side managing to create meaningful breakthroughs, either on the flanks or through the centre, the game quickly drifted into equilibrium.The early exchanges remained the only significant material trades, and with little imbalance on the board, neither player pressed for complications.Eventually, a threefold repetition saw the game end in a draw after 31 moves, a result that will feel like a missed opportunity for a player of Praggnanandhaa’s ilk.FIDE Candidates Round 5 Results – April 3, 2026

FIDE Candidates Round 6 Pairings – April 4, 2026

The situation was more difficult for his elder sister, Vaishali Rameshbabu, who suffered her first defeat of the Women’s Candidates campaign against China’s Zhu Jiner.Playing with the black pieces, Vaishali faced a King’s Pawn opening that soon transposed into the Italian Game.She opted for the Two Knights Defence, a system played in her previous round against Aleksandra Goryachkina, even though Vaishali was with the white pieces back then.This time, Zhu steadily built pressure, advancing on the queenside and simultaneously improving piece coordination in the centre. Two minor inaccuracies from Vaishali (15…f5 and 16…Nc5) weakened her position, allowing Zhu to seize a slight but lasting advantage.As pieces were gradually exchanged, Vaishali’s king became increasingly exposed in the centre, particularly after 27.Ke6.While the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss winner did not commit any major blunders, the position became progressively difficult to defend. With Zhu maintaining better coordination and king safety, Vaishali was eventually forced to resign on move 62.Meanwhile, Divya Deshmukh, the other Indian in the women’s section, held Tan Zhongyi to a hard-fought draw with the black pieces. The game, a Queen’s Gambit Declined, lasted 45 moves and featured significantly more activity than the Praggnanandhaa encounter in the Open section.Divya attempted to create imbalances through active rook, knight and queen manoeuvres in the middlegame, putting pressure on Tan’s position. However, with neither side able to convert their chances into a decisive breakthrough, the players eventually agreed to split the point. Given the strength of her opponent and her loss in the previous round against Zhu Jiner, the draw will serve as a morale-boosting result for the young Indian.ALSO READ: R Praggnanandhaa’s invisible second: The making of Vaibhav SuriFIDE Women’s Candidates Round 5 Results – April 4, 2026

FIDE Women’s Candidates Round 6 Pairings – April 4, 2026

‘Are You Scared Of PM Modi?’

Former Delhi chief minister Atishi, in a post on X, raised pointed questions for Chadha.“Are you scared of Modi Ji?” she asked.She also said, “Common man facing issue due to LPG, but you didn’t say anything on LPG crisis.”Adding to her criticism, Atishi said, “Why do you fear the BJP so much? Why are you afraid to ask questions to PM Modi? You stayed silent when BJP workers rigged elections in Delhi. You kept quiet even when democracy is under attack in West Bengal. Today, one of the biggest concerns for the common man is the LPG crisis.”“As an MP, you may not feel its impact—but what about ordinary citizens? When AAP raised this issue and urged you to speak, you remained silent again. You were in London while AAP workers were out on the streets of Delhi, fighting for the common man,” she added.“We are soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal and not scared of PM Narendra Modi. Either you decide if you are with consitititon or Narendra Modi,” Atishi said.

‘He is compromised’

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann defended the decision to remove Chadha, calling it routine party functioning.“This is regular party functioning. It is his call on what statement he wants to make,” Mann said.He added, “Those who break party lines should be subjected to action.”“In Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, the opposition takes many decisions. Any member who goes against the party line, it goes against the party whip. Hence, if you go against the whip, you are bound to face action,” he said.Replying to a question, Mann said Chadha is “compromised” and has gone against the party whip.“I don’t know what he has said in his statement. If the party (AAP) gives a line – to raise issues like valid votes being deleted (in West Bengal), out of 160 leaders and volunteers being booked in Gujarat, or Punjab’s issues of attempts to polarise communities, or issues of minimum support price (MSP), or the Centre holding back funds of goods and services tax (GST) or rural development fund (RDF).”“But if someone raises issues of samosas at airports or pizza delivery time, won’t it raise doubts that he is talking from a different station,” Mann said.

‘You are scared, Raghav’

AAP leader Anurag Dhanda also hit back at Chadha, alleging that he had been “scared” for the past few years and hesitant to speak against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.“The party get little time to speak in Parliament, under which it can either save the nation or call out for ‘making samosas cheap at the airport,’” he said.“We are Kejriwal’s soldiers. Fearlessness is our first identity. If someone fears Modi, will they fight for the country? In Parliament, the party gets just a little time to speak— in that, we can either struggle to save the nation or push to make samosas cheaper in the airport canteen,” he added.Dhanda further alleged that Chadha refused to sign a proposal against the Chief Election Commissioner and did not speak when AAP workers were being arrested.“In Gujarat, our hundreds of workers have been arrested by BJP’s police — will the honourable MP say something in the House? In West Bengal, the right to vote is being snatched away. When a proposal against the CEC came up in the House, Brother Sahib refused to sign it. When the party walked out of the House, they stayed back to mark attendance for Modi Ji. For the past few years, you’ve been scared, Raghav. You hesitate to speak against Modi. You hesitate to speak on the real issues of the country,” Dhanda added.

‘Party of one individual, Arvind Kejriwal’

The BJP also criticised AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, saying the party has become about “one individual” and that somebody “with a sense of truth” cannot stay with him.Talking to IANS, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said, “This clearly shows that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is no longer a party of the common people, but has become a party of one individual, Arvind Kejriwal. As long as people continue to flatter him, they remain in the party.”