Current Affairs question from Naib Tehsildar exam, 2018 by JKSSB
What is the name of the satellite that was sent into orbit by a SAARC country for technical and scientific contribution?
Last updated Jun 24, 2026
Correct Answer:
Option C —
GSAT-9
The South Asia Satellite
GSAT-9 is popularly known as the South Asia Satellite (formerly the SAARC Satellite). It was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on May 5, 2017, using the GSLV-F09 rocket.
Key Contributions and Features
The satellite was a gift from India to its fellow SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) member nations to foster regional cooperation in science and technology.
Participating Nations: Aside from India, the beneficiaries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. (Pakistan opted out of the project).
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Scientific Utility: It provides crucial support in areas like tele-education, tele-medicine, disaster management, and weather forecasting.
Technical Specs: It is a Geostationary communication satellite equipped with 12 Ku-band transponders.
Why the other options are incorrect:
CARTOSAT (A): This is a series of Indian Earth observation satellites primarily used for high-resolution mapping and resource management.
METSAT (B): Now known as Kalpana-1, this was India's first dedicated meteorological satellite, but it was not a specific SAARC-wide joint contribution.
PSAT-4 (D): This is not a recognized satellite in the context of major SAARC scientific contributions.
Answer verified by Quintessence Classes faculty — Karan Nagar, Srinagar.
