ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

India formally assumed the Presidency of the G20 or the Group of 20 developed or developing nations on November 2022. This will last for a period of one year and this one year is packed with events with several heads of state and governments visiting India. Is this just a talking forum or can this powerful group find solutions to global issues? To discuss this and more Smita Prakash spoke with Chi...

What happens when an analyst on Pakistani affairs, an author and scientist, a political analyst and a researcher who speaks on political ideologies and social issues, come together on a Podcast with an Editor? Let’s tune in to the year ender edition of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash where in a free-wheeling conversation they discuss wide-ranging issues including Punjabi supremacy, Rahul Gandhi’s B...

You don’t laugh at her but you laugh with her. If you are an avid social media user, you must have come across the saree-clad ‘Raju Ki Mummy’ passing unabashed judgment on other people’s fashion or the ‘Chanayi Kapoor’ who messes with her housekeeper in a pretentious South Delhi accent. The face behind all these characters is a single versatile entertainer and social media content creator Dolly Si...

Bhupender Yadav, the Union Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is also the BJP’s election strategist. In this edition of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, the Union Cabinet Minister speaks about the victory of the recently held Gujarat Assembly polls and the party’s defeat in Himachal Pradesh state elections. From COP 27 Egypt to carbon emissions in Ind...

Dr Vikram Sampath is the author of eight books including two-volume biography of VD Savarkar. In 2021, the Bengaluru-based historian was chosen as a fellow for the Royal Historical Society of the United Kingdom. In this edition of Podcast with Smita Prakash, the young author-cum-historian talks about India's glorious history; the unsung heroes including civilisational warriors. He elaborates how L...

China's recent attempt to forcefully alter the status quo on the LAC in Yangtse in Tawang Sector was thwarted by the Indian Army. As the soldiers of People's Liberation Army (PLA) came with clubs, the Indian soldiers did not back down and responded in kind, beating back the belligerent Chinese forces. In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane (Retd), Former...

Mental health is a state of emotional, psychological, physical, and social well-being. One's holistic health is considered incomplete without good mental health. However, mental health often takes a back seat as people still hesitate to talk about it. India has one of the world’s largest population of people with mental issues with more than 80% of people not having access to care services for a m...

Traditional folk songs are an integral part of Indian culture. Malini Awasthi has beautifully managed to capture the essence of Indian Folklore and has been able to connect the urban audience to the traditional Indian roots through her music. She has been awarded the Padma Shri and is a recipient of several other awards and recognitions. Her special connection is with her home state Uttar Pradesh...

He doesn’t have an MBA degree, yet Prafull Billore is known as MBA Chai Wala. He flipped burgers before wads of cash made way into his hands. Prafull started the MBA Chai Wala in 2017 in pursuit of making big. Soon the young entrepreneur had his cash register ringing and the humble “thela” on a highway soon transcended into a big business. The chain now has nearly 200 outlets in India and abroad....

Israeli envoy Naor Gilon has been in the news recently for taking on Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid for his comments at the International Film Festival of India. In this podcast, that was recorded earlier Ambassador Naor Gilon talks with Smita Prakash on India–Israel relations which is on a very strong footing with both the nations looking at each other as strategic partners in all spheres of life....

Shraddha Walkar’s murder by her boyfriend Aftab Poonawalla has transfixed the country. The gruesome details that are emerging everyday have, once again, brought to focus the issue of crimes against women in the country and especially in the city of Delhi. To shed further light on the issue Smita Prakash spoke with a former police officer who knows Delhi like the back of her hand. She was the first...

14 years have passed since the terror attacks of 26/11 in Mumbai by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. For the first time ever hear from the man who led an elite covert counter-terror unit that took the fight to the enemy. Colonel Hunny Bakshi, Ex-Commanding Officer of Technical Support Division (TSD), a Military Intelligence unit set up in 2010 in the aftermath of 26/11. In an illuminating conversati...

Palki Sharma has been a TV reporter and anchor for over two decades. She was the face of Wion before she joined Network 18 as Managing Editor and is now building a team for a new venture. In an interesting conversation with Smita Prakash, she talks about her life, tackling trolls, breaking stereotypes and the challenges of International News. She opens up about her reasons for moving from Wion and...

Yatinder Singh, a bodybuilder and fitness expert, is also a social media influencer through his Youtube channel on which he guides youngsters who want to take up bodybuilding as a profession or as a lifestyle. He is a three-time Mr. India title-holder and this year at an age when most bodybuilders retire, he won the title of Asia Champion silencing his critics for good. In a candid conversation wi...

Padyatra which translates to ‘journey by foot' has been used as an agent of social change by religious and social reformers from ancient times. Even politicians have used it to gain political mileage, the most impactful one being the Salt March undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi against the British tax regime. Currently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is on a padyatra from South to North India called the...

The recent happenings in Pakistan have taken a new turn after the assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Imran Khan. For the first time in history, people are openly protesting against the Pakistan Army and anti-American sentiments are at an all-time high. What do these developments mean for India and how does it impact geopolitics on the global stage to discuss more on it Smita Prakash sp...

Sarbananda Sonowal, the former Chief Minister of Assam is one of the tallest political leaders from North East India. He is currently the Cabinet Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Cabinet Minister of AYUSH in the Government of India. In a detailed conversation with Smita Prakash, he talks about his journey in politics from being a student leader to now being the only politician fro...

Priyanka Chaturvedi is a Member of Parliament from the Rajya Sabha and holds the post of Deputy Leader in the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction). A former Congress spokesperson, Priyanka has been a voice for gender equality both inside and outside of parliament. She has been strident in her criticism of the BJP and does not hesitate to take on the government even on issues outside of her home st...

Lt Gen KJS Dhillon (Retd) popularly known as 'Tiny Dhillon' is a decorated officer with a career spanning 39 years. He has served as Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency and Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (Intelligence). He earned widespread appreciation for initiating unconventional, people-friendly operations during his tenure as head of XV Corps in Kashmir. His line...

Is the Covid pandemic over? Are the Covid vaccines and boosters enough to keep us safe in the event of another wave? What are the after effects of Covid that we are living with? What about random tests doctors seem to be prescribing these days? How do doctors function under intense stress that comes with the profession? To answer these questions Smita Prakash spoke with Dr. Arjun Dang, CEO of Dr....

Air pollution is one of the biggest issues faced by mankind, causing serious lung-related disorders. Research has shown that 80% of lung care patients these days are non-smokers who are exposed to air pollution. Covid has further worsened the matter with recovered persons having compromised lungs which is leading us towards a lung cancer epidemic. To discuss this important issue Smita Prakash spok...

Arnab Goswami needs no introduction; he has been the face of Indian television news for more than a decade. Rightly called controversy’s favourite child, Arnab doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind. In an elaborate conversation with Smita Prakash, Arnab Goswami opens up about his life, humble beginnings, rise in the media industry and how he launched Republic TV Group. For the first time ever he...

Navika Kumar is a household name when it comes to television news. She has been a flag bearer for women journalists, one of the few woman editors of a news channel. In a candid conversation with Smita Prakash, Navika Kumar opens up about her family, her transition from print to television news, and the struggles of multitasking as a mother and an editor. For the first time, she narrates about what...

Despite BJP being in power since 2014, the right-wing narrative remains fractured. BJP is seen as ‘right wing’ due to its leanings, however, when it comes to the economy, the party’s own supporters call it more left-inclined than the left liberals ever have. Is the left actually liberal and is the right not? To discuss these political connotations and much more, Smita Prakash spoke with Abhijit Iy...

Pavan Varma is a former diplomat, an author and a politician who wears each hat with equal ease. He remains grounded inspite of being part of Delhi’s elite for decades. In an interesting conversation with Smita Prakash he talks about his relationship with Nitish Kumar, his days as an ambassador and the current political climate in the country. He passionately envisions a united opposition that cou...