India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has ordered Television Rating Points (TRP) for major TV news channels suspended for four weeks, or until further notice, citing “unwarranted sensationalism and speculative content” around the US-Israel war on Iran that could create panic, especially among Indians with family or jobs in affected Gulf countries.
At the Raisina Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar confirmed India had allowed a third Iranian warship, identified as IRIS Lavan, to dock in Kochi on March 1 on humanitarian grounds after it requested assistance for technical difficulties. He said many onboard were young cadets who disembarked to a nearby facility. Jaishankar noted the vessels had been part of an international exercise hosted by the Indian Navy before the conflict began and defended the decision as humane, adding that the Indian Ocean cannot be regarded 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.
Meanwhile, domestic energy costs rose sharply: state-linked oil companies increased liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices by ₹60, bringing the cost to ₹913 per cylinder, a move attributed to a spike in global energy prices after the US-Israel campaign against Iran. About 70–80% of Indian households use LPG, and the hike is expected to hurt low-income families.
The crisis also intensified political debate at home. Opposition parties, led by the Indian National Congress, criticized comments by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that the US had granted India a temporary waiver to buy Russian oil, portraying it as humiliating and evidence of compromised sovereignty. Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, raised the matter in parliament and accused the government of subservience to Washington. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not publicly responded.
The Raisina Dialogue, hosting diplomats and geopolitical experts, featured last-minute participation by Iran’s deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh, who likened the war to a “TV reality show,” criticizing US actions. Indian media coverage of the conflict, and previous instances of sensational or inaccurate reporting during past India-Pakistan clashes, likely influenced the I&B Ministry’s decision to suspend TV ratings to curb panic and speculative reporting.
