New Delhi, Jan. 9 -- Responding to a proposed bill in the United States Congress that seeks to impose a 500 per cent duty on countries continuing to purchase Russian oil, India on Friday said it remains guided by the imperative of securing "affordable energy" for its 1.4 billion people amid evolving global market dynamics.

Reacting to the proposed legislation, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, said that New Delhi is aware of the bill and is closely monitoring developments.

"We are aware of the proposed bill. We are closely following the developments," Jaiswal said during a weekly press briefing.

Reiterating India's long-standing position on energy sourcing, Jaiswal underlined that New Delhi's deci...