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 Army Chief, tells how the PLA received a "Jhatka" in Galwan in 2020. As Indian side also suffered ca...
Dec 14, 2022•1 hr 34 min
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 multitude of reasons, ranging from lack of knowledge, stigma and high cost of care. To have a better ...
Dec 11, 2022•58 min
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 and she is completely in tune with the folklore and folk music of the state. In a conversation with ...
Dec 07, 2022•1 hr 38 min
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. In this episode of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, the 26-year-old tells how he made it big without ...
Dec 04, 2022•1 hr 25 min
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. From defence to agriculture, from cyber security to start-up culture, India and Israel have been ab...
Nov 30, 2022•55 min
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 woman officer of the Indian police service. Kiran Bedi has worked tirelessly to reduce crimes again...
Nov 27, 2022•1 hr 21 min
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 conversation with Smita Prakash, he talks about the idea behind the unit, his investigation that led to the un...
Nov 24, 2022•2 hr 11 min
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 her plans for the next venture of the Network 18 Group. Through the conversation she also highlight...
Nov 20, 2022•1 hr 21 min
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 with Smita Prakash, Yatinder talks about his humble beginnings, his potentially career-ending injury, ...
Nov 16, 2022•1 hr 25 min
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 Bharat Jodo Yatra which he says is to unite the nation divided by the divisive policies of the BJP g...
Nov 13, 2022•58 min
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 spoke with Tilak Devasher who is the author of three widely acclaimed books on Pakistan and retired as...
Nov 09, 2022•1 hr 16 min
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 from the North East to be part of the BJP Parliamentary Board. Sonowal sheds light on the workings of t...
Nov 06, 2022•50 min
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 state of Maharashtra. She is known to speak straight from the heart and in this episode with Smita Pra...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 7 min
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 ‘Kitne Ghazi aaye kitne Ghazi gaye’ has become legendary in the social media circuit. In a candid c...
Oct 30, 2022•1 hr 8 min
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. Dangs Lab which is the busiest diagnostic laboratory in New Delhi and Dr Dhiren Gupta who is a Paedi...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 3 min
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 spoke with Dr Arvind Kumar, Chairman, Institute of Chest Surgery at Medanta Hospital. He is a leading vo...
Oct 23, 2022•53 min
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 hear Arnab Goswami talk about his ordeal inside the Taloja Central Jail and how he dealt with the wrat...
Oct 19, 2022•1 hr 53 min
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 happened that evening during the controversial episode which included Nupur Sharma which drew a lot...
Oct 16, 2022•1 hr 15 min
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 Iyer-Mitra. He is someone who has a radical take on these things and is considered to be an ‘extreme l...
Oct 12, 2022•58 min
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 could pose a serious challenge to the BJP bandwagon. He also sheds light on the class culture of Lutyen
Oct 09, 2022•52 min
Suhel Seth is a man of many talents - a brand strategist, writer, author and a television pundit who can speak uninterrupted on literally any topic under the sun. A no holds barred speaker who believes in what he say and doesn’t shy away from taking on the opponent in most television debates, Suhel has become a household name.In an interesting conversation with Smita Prakash the Marketing Maven talks about his life, passions, and interactions with the stalwarts from different walks of life. He a...
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 2 min
The Indian Government on September 23 released an advisory asking Indian Nationals and students in Canada to exercise due caution and remain vigilant. This came after a sharp increase in incidents of hate crimes, sectarian violence and anti-India activities in Canada. Also gangs and criminal organisations within the Punjabi Canadian community have expanded their activities into Indian soil which came into focus with the killing of Sidhu Moose Wala. Another long standing problem is that of the Kh...
Oct 02, 2022•55 min
Himanta Biswa Sarma is not just the Chief Minister of Assam but also the most influential political figure in the whole of North East India. Called controversy’s favourite child by many, he doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind. Switching sides to the BJP in 2015 has seen his popularity grow tenfold – whether it's at the Centre or amongst the masses in the Hindi heartland. In a candid conversation with Smita Prakash, the witty politician talks about his days in the Congress and the stark diffe...
Sep 28, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Jairam Ramesh is more than a media incharge of the largest opposition party in India. He is an author, a former Minister and a TV anchor. So much so that one critic called him the "Aishwarya Rai of TV" when he used to anchor a TV show. In an animated conversation with Smita Prakash, the maverick politician was sharp in his criticism of the media which he says is biased against the Congress. He defends the Bharat Jodo Yatra of Rahul Gandhi and says it is rejuvenating the cadres. About his past av...
Sep 25, 2022•1 hr 2 min
