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Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- The NVS-03 satellite will be carried into orbit by the GSLV-F18 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota
- It aims to boost NavIC, India’s indigenous alternative to the US Global Positioning System (GPS) system
Here are the top headlines from India on Friday, October 30:
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Skip next section West Bengal, Assam on flood alert after glacial lake outburst in Bhutan10/30/2026October 30, 2026
West Bengal, Assam on flood alert after glacial lake outburst in Bhutan
Several districts in West Bengal, along with parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, were placed on flood alert on Friday, media reports said.
The flood, triggered by a glacial lake burst at Sintaphu Lake in neighboring Bhutan, swept away infrastructure at the Gasa Tshachu natural hot springs in the Himalayan kingdom.
Indian authorities have stepped up monitoring along the Sankosh River, which flows from Bhutan through West Bengal and into Assam. Communities along the Brahmaputra River in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have also been alerted over possible flooding.
In Bhutan, no casualties have been reported, state broadcaster BBS said.
According to Bhutanese media reports, two Bailey bridges, built in portable, pre-fabricated sections, may have been washed away, as well as a part of the road leading to Laya village, where the hot springs are located, had also been washed away.
Edited by:Karl Sextonhttps://p.dw.com/p/5OqcxSkip next section India to launch new satellite to reduce reliance on US-owned GPS10/30/2026October 30, 2026
India to launch new satellite to reduce reliance on US-owned GPS
India’s space agency is set to launch a navigation satellite on Friday night to strengthen the country’s indigenous alternative to GPS.
According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) the NVS-03 is “intended to augment the NavIC constellation and support continuity of navigation services.”
The NVS-03 satellite, the third in ISRO’s next-generation navigation series, will be carried into orbit by the GSLV-F18 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 11:51 p.m. (1821 GMT) on Friday.
According to ISRO, the satellite features an indigenous atomic clock alongside imported clocks, and adds the L1 signal to the existing L5 and S-band signals. It is designed to provide navigation coverage across India and up to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) beyond its borders.
NavIC is seen as an alternative to the Global Positioning System (GPS) system owned by the United States government.
It was developed to reduce India’s dependence on foreign navigation systems, however, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper, the program has faced repeated setbacks, including failing atomic clocks and satellite launch and deployment problems.
Last month, India had launched of its EOS-05 Earth observation satellite, its first ever imaging satellite in geosynchronous orbit.
Edited by:Karl Sextonhttps://p.dw.com/p/5OqZ2Skip next section Welcome to our coverage!10/30/2026October 30, 2026
Welcome to our coverage!
Hello! This is Shakeel from DW’s New Delhi Studio bringing you the top updates from across India.
All eyes will be on the skies today as India prepares to launch a navigation satellite to strengthen its indigenous alternative to GPS, reducing the country’s reliance on the US government-owned system.
Meanwhile, the results of the Legislative Council elections in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh serve as a warning from the Samajwadi Party to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2027 state elections.
Elsewhere, the states of Assam and West Bengal are on flood alert after a glacier burst in Bhutan.
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Edited by:Karl Sextonhttps://p.dw.com/p/5OqZdShow more posts
