News Broadcasting
‘Question Time India’ returns to BBC World
MUMBAI: A new series of the panel discussion programme Question Time India begins on BBC World tonight 6 February at 10 pm.
The new presenter Dileep Padgaonkar will invite the country’s top politicians and personalities to analyse and debate the leading stories each week as the country prepares for the general elections, due to be held later this year. Tonight the guests include former Cabinet Minister and the BJP’s general secretary Pramod Mahajan and former prime minister I.K. Gujral.
They will discuss a range of issues, including whether the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will be re-elected this year, the revelations surrounding Pakistan’s nuclear leaks and the level of trust between India and Pakistan.
On the announcement by the Pakistani scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, that he shared secrets about his country’s nuclear weapons Gujral says: “It is not a revelation. We all knew it because this was known all the time that the deals with these countries Iran, Libya and North Korea are being made.
“Only those sitting in Washington did not want to see it. They knew but did not want to see it. We pointed out time and again that Pakistan does not have any autonomous nuclear programme. But they would not listen. And now the situation is out.”
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.
