Karti Chidambaram is an Indian National Congress MP representing the Sivaganga constituency in Tamil Nadu.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he discusses the Parliament Budget Session, DMK-Congress alliance, Actor Vijay, freebies politics, money laundering investigations against him, and BJP’s presence in Tamil Nadu.

He also addresses the Dhurandhar controversy and his alleged cameo in it, highlighting the absence of official records related to it.

*Timestamps*

00:00 – Introduction

01:47 – Parliament Deadlock

12:33 – Congress-DMK Alliance

20:04 – Congress in Tamil Nadu

25:30 – BJP-AIADMK Alliance

31:09 – Anti-Incumbency Against DMK

37:36 – Legal Cases & Investigations

43:40 – Sonia’s Role in UPA

47:27 – Sanatana Debate

51:23 – Freebie Politics

59:09 – Dhurandhar Controversy

1:05:16 – KYC, Re-KYC & Citizen Rights

1:11:13 – Family-Centric Politics

1:15:31 – Relations with Rahul Gandhi

1:16:26 – Snap Reactions

1:23:47 – Bonding with Father

1:32:09 – South Indian Food

Nayab Singh Saini, the Chief Minister of Haryana, led the BJP to win a third term in the state, despite predictions of anti-incumbency against the party.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, CM Saini talks about the key issues shaping Haryana’s future, including farmers, job creation, and women’s safety.

He also shares his vision for the development of Gurugram, focusing on better urban planning, improved drainage systems, and long-term growth for the city.

00:00 – Introduction

00:52 – No Anti-Incumbency in Haryana

08:51 – Promises Made During the Polls

13:27 – Farmers’ Protest

18:08 – Crop Diversification in Haryana

23:27 – Youth Skill Development & Women’s Safety

26:06 – Gurugram’s Development

28:28 – Punjab’s Drug Crisis

35:49 – Jobs and Employment

40:05 – Lado Lakshmi Yojana

41:52 – Welfare Schemes

44:38 – Yamuna Poison Controversy

Can gaming addiction push kids toward serious mental health crises? Does social media influence increase vulnerability to anxiety and depression in teens?

To answer these questions, we are joined by Dr. Bhavna Barmi and Anshu Bedi. Dr. Bhavna Barmi is a Senior Clinical and Child Psychologist and the founder of Happiness Studio.

Anshu Bedi is a teacher at Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School with over 32 years of experience mentoring preteens.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Dr. Bhavna Barmi explains that signs of stress or distress in children should never be ignored.

Anshu Bedi talks about how many parents today expect perfection from their children and stresses that this can leave them unprepared for real-world challenges.

00:00 – Introduction

01:04 – Mental Health Challenges Among Kids

07:32 – Holistic Development of Children

11:32 – Attention Span Issues in Students

15:07 – Modern Parent-Teacher Connections

18:10 – Bullying and Peer Pressure

21:27 – Emotional Signals in Children

25:13 – Academic Stress in Children

29:50 – Reduced Family Interaction on Children

34:36 – Consequences of Body Shaming

40:38 – Happiness Clinics & Mental Health Support

42:54 – Social Media Impact on Young Minds

49:52 – Current Parenting Challenges

1:05:56 – Emotional Stress in Counsellors

Rekha Gupta is the Chief Minister of Delhi, following the BJP's return to power in the capital after 27 years. Her political journey began with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

She is an elected MLA from the Shalimar Bagh constituency and has previously served as General Secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha in Delhi. She was also a member of the party’s national executive committee.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, CM Rekha Gupta speaks about Delhi’s pollution and her government’s plans to tackle it. She also discusses key priorities, including better public transport, stronger last-mile connectivity, and her vision for a cleaner, better-governed Delhi.

*Timestamps*

00:00 – Coming Up

00:00 – Introduction

01:13 – One Year as Delhi CM

03:42 – Delhi’s Pollution Crisis

08:36 – Dust Mitigation Measures

10:26 – Garbage Mountains

13:44 – Waste Treatment Plants

15:01 – Solutions to Delhi’s Air Pollution

17:51 – Lunch for Slum Dwellers

20:45 – ‘Sheesh Mahal’ Controversy

21:51 – School Admissions & Fee Regulation

27:46 – School Safety & Monitoring

31:14 – Expectations of Delhi Residents

33:31 – Healthcare System

37:10 – Parks for Children

38:49 – Public Washrooms & Civic Sense

43:29 – Hospital Bed Allocation

45:55 – Two Female CMs Among 28 States

47:01 – Being a Woman Leader

53:38 – Priorities as Chief Minister

Neena Gupta is a versatile actress and author, known for playing a wide range of characters. She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for 'Woh Chokri' and 'Uunchai'.

Sanjay Mishra is loved for his humour and strong comic timing. He is well known for films like Golmaal, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Total Dhamaal, and Dilwale. He has also received praise for his serious roles in films like 'Aankhon Dekhi' and 'Vadh'.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Sanjay Mishra talks about being repeatedly cast in comic roles and how this typecasting has affected his career. He also shares his thoughts on changing audience tastes and why many films today feel overly loud and exaggerated.

Neena Gupta speaks about her journey from Delhi to Mumbai, describing those early days as scary and lonely. She talks honestly about her struggles in the film industry and the advice she gave her daughter, Masaba Gupta. Both actors also discuss their upcoming film Vadh 2, which releases in theatres on February 6.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:37 – Neena Gupta’s on-screen appearance

02:35 – Eating habits during film shoots

06:09 – Story behind ‘Vadh’ title

12:29 – Sanjay Mishra’s ‘cool’ avatar

14:57 – Neena Gupta’s viral family post

17:53 – Neena Gupta’s education at NSD

21:10 – Evolution of Hindi cinema

25:30 – Neena Gupta’s career turning point

29:27 – Art cinema vs mainstream cinema

32:03 – Late success in acting career

40:45 – Elderly care in India & abroad

43:31 – Neena Gupta’s early struggles in Mumbai

47:38 – Typecasting in Films

51:12 – Neena Gupta on Acting in ‘Gandhi’

55:58 – Initial TV Work of Neena Gupta

59:58 – Impactful Roles of Sanjay Mishra

1:05:28 – Characters in ‘Vadh 2’

UGC Regulations 2026 are witnessing protests in North India with General Category students raising concerns that these rules could increase discrimination. They also worry about weak safeguards against false complaints and unclear mechanisms for addressing their grievances.

What is the purpose and scope of the UGC Equity Regulations? Are the protests against the new regulations organic? How do the new regulations differ from the 2012 regulations?

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Dr. Vikas Divyakirti, founder and MD of Drishti IAS, answers it all.

00:00 – Introduction

02:58 – UGC 2026 Regulations

10:48 – Implicit Discrimination Concerns

13:47 – Equity Committee Structure

21:10 – Bias in Faculty Hiring

28:28 – Social Reform in Education

37:47 – General Category & Marginalised Sections

42:09 – Inequality in Indian Society

47:51 – Merit-Based Selection

55:04 – Caste & Social Bias in Education

59:60 – Explicit & Implicit Discrimination

1:03:55 – Caste Discrimination Complaints

1:09:33 – Discrimination Definition

1:15:28 – Caste Representation in Academia

1:23:12 – Political Debate on New UGC Guidelines

1:26:18 – Gen Z in India

1:41:03 – Caste Representation

1:53:38 – BJP & Upper-Caste Vote Bank

1:58:26 – Reservation Debate

2:02:20 – “Batenge to Katenge” Slogan

2:09:42 – Caste-Sensitive Politics

Rajeev Shukla is often described as one of India’s most well-connected public figures. Jokingly, many call him ‘Omnipresent’ Rajeev Shukla. Over the years, he has built friendships across political party lines and developed close ties with Bollywood stars, leading businessmen, and cricketers alike.

In a career spanning nearly four decades, Rajeev Shukla has worn many hats. He began his professional journey as a journalist in Kanpur. Today, he represents the Congress party in the Rajya Sabha. He has also served as a Minister of State in a Congress-led government, is currently the Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and has earlier been the Chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Rajeev Shukla reflects on why he is often called “everyone’s friend” and how he has managed to maintain relationships across political divides. He speaks about his early days in journalism, his association with the Gandhi family, and his decision to join the Congress party. He also shares his deep love for cricket and fondly recalls his time as the manager of the Indian cricket team.

Indrani Bagchi is the CEO of Ananta Centre, a platform for dialogue, leadership, and public policy. She has many years of experience covering the Ministry of External Affairs and is known for explaining global events from an Indian point of view. Earlier, she served as the Diplomatic Editor at The Times of India.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Indrani Bagchi talks about how Donald Trump’s policies have changed America. She says the U.S. tariffs on India feel personal and explains how India should respond. She also points out that Europe has been hit the hardest by Trump’s foreign policy. According to her, the forces Trump has unleashed in America will not disappear anytime soon.

Timestamps

0:00 – Introduction

1:21 – The West vs China

6:21 – How Pakistan Balances USA and China

11:33 – China’s Influence in Asia

16:49 – Trump’s MAGA Worldview

23:01 – China’s Economic Leverage

36:57 – Why India Needs ‘MIGA’ Movement

42:02 – India as Counterbalance to China

55:08 – Indian diaspora vs Chinese diaspora influence

1:04:24 – India’s Flexible Foreign Policy

1:16:22 – India’s Long-Term Vision for US

Gaddam Dharmendra is a former Indian Foreign Service officer who joined the service in 1990. He served in senior diplomatic roles for over three decades and was India’s Ambassador to Iran from 2019 to 2023. He is known for his deep understanding of West Asia, sanctions, and regional politics.

Dr Waiel Awwad is a Syrian-born journalist based in South Asia who covers Middle East affairs. He has reported from several war zones. During the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, he was caught in an ambush while reporting from the ground and narrowly escaped execution. Also joining the podcast is ANI Director Ishaan Prakash.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, the guests discuss the Iran crisis and the future of the Khamenei regime. They talk about possible US intervention, whether Iran’s Khamenei regime could fall, and who might take over if that happens. The conversation also examines what the people of Iran truly want and how today’s protests differ from the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

00:00 — Introduction

01:13 — Inside Iran’s Protests

12:42 — Gulf States Against US Strike Over Iran

16:35 — Trump’s Appeal to Iranian Protesters

22:09 — Iran Regime Change Soon?

25:08 — Iranian Institutions

27:50 — Iran’s Nuclear Program

37:28 — US-Iran Negotiation Talks

48:25 — The Iran–Israel Conflict

51:10 — US Sanctions on Iran

57:20 — US Media Coverage of Iran

1:06:28 — Pro-Government Rallies in Iran

1:13:45 — Iran’s Economic Crisis

Sukanta Majumdar is a Lok Sabha MP from Balurghat and serves as Union Minister of State for Education and Development of the North Eastern Region in the NDA government.

In this episode of The ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Sukanta Majumdar discusses the high-stakes politics of West Bengal ahead of the 2026 polls.

He claims that Bengal government documents were found at Pratik Jain’s residence, whose company, I-PAC, handles the political campaign of the TMC.

Sukanta also speaks about West Bengal’s changing demographics and their political impact, concerns over democracy under the TMC and the Left’s alleged alignment with the TMC.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:57 – ED vs Mamata over I-PAC Raids

06:42 – President’s Rule in Bengal?

10:02 – Bengali vs Non-Bengali Politics

14:42 – Infiltration in West Bengal

20:45 – Demographic Changes in Bengal

24:33 – Who Will Be BJP’s CM Face?

29:32 – Amartya Sen and SIR Controversy

34:59 – Jobs Crisis in Bengal

38:42 – Rise of New Parties in Bengal Politics

42:16 – Industrial Decline in Bengal

50:28 – Post-Poll Violence in Bengal

56:55 – BJP’s Roadmap for 2026 Bengal Polls