News Broadcasting
NBA, DUJ condemn attack on journalists outside Patiala House courts in Delhi
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has condemned the assault by lawyers and others on journalists and cameramen, especially women journalists, who were reporting from Patiala House Court ON 15 February.
The incident occurred when JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was to be produced in the Court.
Condemning the incident and terming it as an attack on the freedom of the press, NBA president Rajat Sharma called it a cowardly attack meant to intimidate journalists carrying out their work in disseminating news and information, a service that is essential for any democratic society.
Senior journalist and India Today Group consulting editor Rajdeep Sardesai said, “The journalists are rightly showing solidarity to what happened yesterday at the Patiala House. What happened yesterday was unexpected. The way the lawyers acted is just shocking. The journalists should definitely unite and stand as one against this.”
Expressing his doubts on the credibility of the lawyers present at the Patiala Court, he added, “Who are these lawyers? They behaved more like politicians. Denoting the media with such terms is just not accepted.”
NDTV India senior executive editor Ravish Kumar said, “It is good to see journalists showing solidarity and coming together but the problem is that there are still many journalists who have not united to fight against this. What happened yesterday in the premise of a court is shocking. It is the right of any person to get a lawyer. The terrorists also get lawyers and the lawyers have taken up such cases in the past. The problem is that the lawyers have started to behave like judges. They should follow the ethics taught to them in their law schools.”
CNN-IBN executive editor Bhupendra Chaubey opined, “I genuinely believe that this is a threat to the expression of one’s views in today’s politics. This type of lynch mob is dangerous and has to be tackled soon. It is good to see journalists coming together to fight this. This looks like a new definition of nationalism, which is being written now in our country. Nationalists and anti-nationalists are now defined by the ruling party but that is ideally supposed to be an individual’s decision. The way it has happened is just not acceptable.”
Earlier, the Delhi Union of Journalists had also condemned the attack at Patiala House as well as at the campus. The DUJ has given a call for observance of a Black Day on 19 February.
The Union strongly deplored the beating up of journalists, students and teachers in the Patiala House Courts by “goons.” Several of them including a few journalists were severely injured and had to be taken to the hospital.
The DUJ said it was “surprising that though there was a heavy presence of the Police, it refused to intervene despite repeated requests by those who were being beaten up.”
The DUJ demanded the immediate arrest of all those who indulged in this violence. “It is the responsibility of the police to provide protection to journalists who were discharging their duty,” it said.
Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal later said at a party briefing that a matter in this connection had been mentioned in the Supreme Court and was likely to be heard tomorrow (17 February).
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
