News Broadcasting
INSAT-3A takes over satellite-aided search and rescue services
MUMBAI: ISRO’s latest satellite INSAT-3A, which was launched on 10 April has taken over the Satellite Aided Search and Rescue services that were being provided by INSAT-2B so far. INSAT-2B, which was launched a decade ago has outlived its design life.
An official release informs that INSAT-3A is the only geostationary satellite at present, which is providing Geostationary Orbit Satellite Aided Search and Rescue services (GEOSAR) in this part of the globe, covering Europe to Australia in the Indian Ocean and the Australian regions. Two American satellites, GOES(W) and GOES(E) provide these services on the western hemisphere.
Satellite Aided Search and Rescue service is provided under the international COSPAS-SARSAT system that provides location information of the distress signals transmitted by beacons mounted on board ships, aircraft or those carried by individuals. The GEOSAR transponder on INSAT-3A complements the Low Earth Orbit COSPAS-SARSAT satellites in receiving the distress signal transmission and its detection.
The ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) operates two ground stations to receive and process the distress signals detected by Low Earth Orbit COSPAS-SARSAT spacecraft besides a ground station capable of receiving and processing distress signals detected by the GEOSAR transponder of INSAT spacecraft in the geostationary orbit. The Mission Control Centre is located at Bangalore.
The location and other details of the beacon, transmitting the distress signals, are determined instantaneously and informed to rescue coordination centres for carrying out search and rescue operations of the affected ship, aircraft or individuals.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
