Four years ago today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of a nationwide lockdown shook all of India, which was beginning to feel the pressure of a fast-spreading infection by a virus that the world had no idea how to treat: the new coronavirus, also called Covid-19, short for coronavirus disease 2019.
The memory of that shock to the country – empty roads, millions of migrant workers returning home, offices suddenly shifting to work-from-home mode – is still fresh for many. This is reflected in people continuing to search for “lockdown in India” even today.
Why are people searching for “lockdown in india 2026”
After months of reporting thousands of cases daily, numerous deaths and a massive vaccination drive, India has managed to fight off Covid-19 and currently faces no major threat from the new virus, which is believed to have been first reported in Wuhan, China.
Although the disease has not been completely eradicated – with only seven active infections reported as of February 2, 2026 – the situation remains largely under control, with no immediate cause for concern or reason for further lockdowns.
As a result, the spike in searches for “lockdown in India” appears to be driven primarily by recall rather than risk, coinciding with the anniversary of March 24, 2020, when Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the virus.
Speaking in Lok Sabha during the ongoing Budget session, Narendra Modi on Monday pointed out how global supply chains have been disrupted during the Covid-19 period, drawing parallels with the ongoing disruptions caused by the current conflict between the US and Iran.
“In the past also, our government did not allow the burden of global crises to fall on farmers,” he said while briefing the House on the situation in India in the context of tensions in West Asia.
Although a local curfew was imposed earlier, the nationwide lockdown was officially announced on 24 March 2020. At the time, Modi warned that failure to take strict measures could set India back decades.
While the world is not currently facing any major threat from the coronavirus, the “war” sparked by the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 has emerged as a new global concern, particularly due to its impact on supply chains and energy flows, given the strategic importance of the Gulf region.
The conflict also disrupted movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass.
Some searches on Tuesday were also on whether there will be a lockdown again in India due to the war. The Indian government has maintained through multiple statements made so far on the conflict in West Asia that there is no need to panic over global disruptions in gas and oil supplies, however, people have been urged to be cautious in their use of key natural resources.
