Centre Sets Up Panel Led By Rajnath Singh To Monitor West Asia War Fallout

Last Updated:March 27, 2026, 15:52 IST

Sources said the panel includes Home Minister Amit Shah and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, among other senior ministers.

The central government has set up an inter-ministerial group led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to monitor issues arising from the war in West Asia, sources said on Friday.

Sources said the panel includes Home Minister Amit Shah and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, among other senior ministers, and will review the situation and its possible impact on India.

The decision comes as the government looks to limit economic risks from the conflict. It has already reduced excise duty on petrol to Rs 3 per litre and brought it down to zero on diesel, while fixing a windfall tax of Rs 21.5 per litre on diesel exports.

At the same time, the government has revised taxes on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF). A new excise duty of Rs 50 per litre has been introduced. However, exemptions will limit the effective duty to Rs 29.5 per litre, easing the burden on the aviation sector.

The notification says “Aviation Turbine Fuel Rs 50 per Litre" as a special additional excise duty, alongside exemptions that cap the effective rate at “Rs. 29.5 per litre" in certain cases.

Other changes in excise duties have also been made to help maintain overall stability in fuel prices.

The reduction comes amid a global energy crisis due to the US-Israel war on Iran and the consequent Tehran-imposed blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil and gas supply, between 20 and 25 million barrels per day, is shipped. Before the conflict, India bought 12 to 15 per cent of that oil.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, in an official statement, assured that “all retail outlets are operating normally across the country" and that there are “adequate stocks of petrol and diesel available at all petrol pumps." It also urged citizens not to engage in panic buying amid circulating rumours.

On the situation in West Asia, despite US President Donald Trump making public peace overtures to Iran, the conflict continues. Israel Defence Forces on Saturday said that it had struck the Iranian Regime’s primary facility for the productions of missiles and sea mines in Yazd, Iran. The IDF claimed that the site was used for the planning, development, assembly, and storage of advanced missiles intended for launch from cruise platforms, submarines, and helicopters toward both mobile and stationary maritime targets.

(With inputs from ANI)

News india Centre Sets Up Panel Led By Rajnath Singh To Monitor West Asia War Fallout

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