India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has suspended Television Rating Points (TRP) for major TV news channels for four weeks, or until further notice, citing “unwarranted sensationalism and speculative content” about the US-Israel war on Iran that could provoke panic, particularly among Indians with family or jobs in Gulf states.
At the Raisina Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar confirmed that India allowed a third Iranian warship, identified as IRIS Lavan, to dock in Kochi on March 1 on humanitarian grounds after it requested technical assistance. Jaishankar said many of those onboard were young cadets who disembarked to a nearby facility. He noted the vessels had taken part in an international exercise hosted by the Indian Navy before the conflict began and defended the decision as a humane response, adding that the Indian Ocean cannot be treated as limited to Indian jurisdiction.
The announcement followed a deadly incident on March 4, when a US submarine torpedoed the IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, killing at least 87. Within a day, another Iranian vessel, IRIS Bushehr, sought help from Sri Lanka, which brought more than 200 sailors ashore.
Domestically, energy costs rose: state-linked companies raised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices by ₹60, taking the cost to ₹913 per cylinder. Authorities linked the hike to a spike in global energy prices after the US-Israel campaign against Iran. Around 70–80% of Indian households use LPG, and the increase is expected to hit low-income families hardest.
The crisis also sharpened political debate. Opposition parties, led by the Indian National Congress, condemned remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that the US had granted India a temporary waiver to buy Russian oil, calling the comment humiliating and a sign of compromised sovereignty. Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, raised the issue in parliament; Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not made a public response at the time.
The Raisina Dialogue, which gathered diplomats and geopolitical experts, saw last-minute participation by Iran’s deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh, who likened the war to a “TV reality show” while criticizing US actions. Concerns about sensational or inaccurate reporting—cited in past coverage of India–Pakistan clashes—likely informed the I&B Ministry’s move to suspend TV ratings as a measure to curb panic and speculative reporting during this volatile period.