ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

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 Paediatrician and Senior Consultant at Sir Ganga Ram hospital, New Delhi.

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 voice when it comes to lung-related issues and has been an advocate for better lung health through his organisation the Lung Care Foundation. 

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 wrath of it. He also shares some inside stories that are sure to raise many eyebrows.

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 of flak. Without mincing any words she sheds light on the feud between her and friend-turned-adversary Arnab Goswami. We also come across her Zen-like persona while dealing with trolls and other critics.   

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 liberal’ - someone who believes in total freedom of expression. He has written on military affairs - a researcher par excellence who speaks on political ideologies and social issues. Often, he is attacked by both the left and the right-wing in India for his opinions but continues to remain unfazed towards criticism.   

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

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 also explains his views on politics and the current happenings in the country without mincing any words. You wouldn’t want to miss this one!

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 Khalistani groups in Canada. To understand more about India-Canada relationship, how both countries can move forward? Should India escalate this to Prime Ministerial level? Smita Prakash spoke with Indrani Bagchi who is the CEO of Ananta Centre, a think tank based in Delhi. Indrani was the Diplomatic Editor for the Times of India for several years and covered the Ministry of External Affairs as well as interpreted it and analysed global trends with an Indian perspective.

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 differences he witnessed between the cultures of the BJP and the Congress. In this conversation, he doesn’t leave a stone unturned to slam the Gandhi family and even ends up calling them “expired Drugs”. He takes on Rahul Gandhi over his “feudal mindset”, referring to him as someone “not fit for politics”. He sheds light on issues of his home state Assam varying from Bangladeshi immigrants to unauthorised Madrasas and how the BJP government has helped in integrating North Eastern states with the rest of India.

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 avatars, in the party and government, Jairam speaks about his interactions with Rajiv Gandhi, Dr Singh, Sitaram Kesri, Narasimha Rao and others. He gets animated when he speaks about other political parties claiming to be the real opposition as opposed to the Congress. A South Indian by birth, Jairam has learned to speak fluent Hindi and switches between English and Hindi in the interview. On who will be president of the party, Jairam hums and haws.