ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

With the Reserve Bank Of India announcing the withdrawal of Rs 2000 notes from circulation as part of a currency management exercise and allowing people to exchange or deposit them in their accounts by September 30, 2023. People are in a fix over the procedure, the number of notes which can be exchanged by a person per day among others and what will be the fate of notes after the central bank's deadline. In this special edition of Podcast with Smita Prakash, the RBI's decision of Rs 2000 note withdrawal and its impact are discussed in detail with Monika Halan who is a financial expert and chairperson of the SEBI advisory committee for Investor Protection and Education Fund. Monika also talks about the controversy around TCS and LRS and the social media outrage which happened after a government decision came to fore.

Lt Col Pavithran Rajan is a former intelligence operative, academician and tech entrepreneur who is also an adjunct faculty at the Cyber Security Research Centre, Punjab Engineering College and is an advisor to Cyber Peace Foundation. He also serves on the board of two private companies currently and has authored a book Engaging China-Indian Interest in the information age. He was commissioned into the Sikh Light infantry but he transitioned into the Intelligence Corps after 10 years of service. He is credited with being one of the first officers to use cybercraft and internet to apprehend a Pakistani operative in India. Pavithran is considered a thought leader in Cyber Intelligence and Information Warfare in India and has also served as an advisor to Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI. In an illuminating conversation with Smita Prakash, he talks about counter-intelligence, foreign relations, information warfare and national security. Pavithran also spills the beans on the vulnerabilities India as a nation faces from its neighboring countries due to digitization and cyberspace. He also talks about 26/11 and how personal data on digital devices will change wars in the future.

With the war of narratives picking pace like anything after Modi coming to power in 2014, the left vs. right divide has only escalated, and now it is being claimed that history is being rewritten for political benefits. As the long push of the conservative right wing is finally being heard, this war of narratives has flown down from many places to India, where it now finds space. Is this an attempt to divide Indian society? In this episode of Podcast with Smita Prakash, we bring two experts to discuss the subject with their in-depth knowledge. Author and journalist Hindol Sengupta has penned 10 books on history, mythology, among others, and is the first Indian to win the Wilbur Award for his book ‘Being Hindu’. He is accompanied by Podcaster and social commentator Kushal Mehra. In this articulated podcast with Smita Prakash, the panel discusses whether or not the transition in history writing is bringing a divide in Indians, examines the western bias against India by foreign academia and India’s growth story.

A trove of talent, Divya Dutta is a noted actor and author of two books- The Stars in My Sky: Those Who Brightened My Film Journey and Main Aur Maa. She has been awarded with the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. With her debut in 1994, Divya Dutta has marked place with her unconventional roles in films like Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh, Veer-Zaara, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, etc. Not just Hindi films, she has also acted in many regional films and international films. In this heart-to-heart conversation with Smita Prakash, Divya Dutta talks about challenges faced in her early days of acting career. She recalls the hardships of living in the conflict zone during the 1980s, when the Punjab separatist movement was raging. She also mentions how Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan taught and helped her as a newcomer.

Afroz Shah is a lawyer by profession and an environmentalist by passion. He became a household name after organizing the world’s largest beach clean-up project at Versova Beach, Mumbai. For his efforts to make beaches garbage free and organising the world's largest beach clean-up, Shah was named by the UN as a Champion of the Earth in 2016 and was also awarded Eco warrior and Indian of the year in subsequent years. However, the feather in the cap came for him when Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Shah for transforming Versova beach from filth and garbage to clean and beautiful during his radio programme 'Mann ki baat' on 28 May 2017. In an interesting conversation with Smita Prakash, Shah narrates the story of how his personal endeavor of cleaning beaches and restoring ecology became a mass movement. He also talks about the support he received from the likes of Amitabh Bachhchan and the Dawoodi Bohra community which helped him restore the ecosystem which led to the return of Ridley turtles to Mumbai beach. Afroz also talks about his ongoing partnerships to educate people on garbage reduction and sanitation in the slums of Mumbai and his future plans on cleaning the Mithi river and Dana Pani beach in Mumbai.

Hours after the dramatic arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, huge protests intensified in several cities in Pakistan with Imran’s supporters thronging the streets of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, and Mardan. PTI supporters also stormed the Pakistan Army headquarters in Rawalpindi and also burnt down the residence of the corps commander in Lahore. In this edition of Podcast with Smita Prakash, the recent developments and what they mean for India and how they impact geopolitics in the region and globally are discussed in detail with Tilak Devasher, author of four widely acclaimed books on Pakistan and a member of the National Security Advisory Board. The panel was also joined by senior fellow, ORF and an analyst on Pakistani affairs, Sushant Sareen, who also discussed the recent trip of Pakistani FM Bilawal Bhutto to India for attending SCO meeting in Goa and what it means for India-Pak bilateral relations in the near future.

Professor Salvatore Babones is an American sociologist, academician and higher education commentator who is currently an associate professor at the University of Sydney and an adjunct scholar at the Centre for Independent Studies. He has authored over a dozen books and academic articles and writes about Asia’s role in the global political economy with special focus on China and India. Babones criticized democracy indices for downgrading India’s ranking under the Modi government in 2022, which won him followers among Indian conservatives, while liberals grew suspicious of him. Babones is also a social media buff and has a huge fan following in India. In this edition of Podcast with Smita Prakash shot in February 2023, Babones talks about western biases against India and how a handful of intellectuals vilify India on the global stage in connivance with western media outlets. He also talks about Islamophobia in Indian politics, the RSS, and New India.

With the last US troops leaving Afghanistan in August 2021 as a result of the Doha Agreement between Taliban and United States has led to a tragic future ahead of Afghans. From banning the media to curbing women's rights, Taliban has backtracked on everything they promised, leading to one of the worst refugee crisis. In this episode of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash held at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, March 2023, the panel discussed US withdrawal from Afghanistan after over two decades and the consequences of a Taliban takeover in the central Asian country which has had a history of war, instability leading to tragic humanitarian crisis. The expert panel, comprising of senior fellow at Atlantic Council, Scowcroft Center for Strategy & Security, USA Dr. Kaush Arha; Former Policy Advisor to the UK Minister for Refugees and Minister for Afghan Resettlement Shabnam Nasimi and an Afghan migrant and a Partner in EY, Germany Younes Ouaqasse also evaluated the probability of new political dynamics in the war-torn country, US engagement with Pakistan and the role of regional as well as global community including India and EU on humanitarian relief and security aspects.

Anupam Kher is more than just a talented actor and not only has two national awards to his name, but has been accorded Padma Shri in 2004 and Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contribution to the field of arts. Kher has acted in more than 500 movies, which include appearances in Indian as well as international movies, including the likes of Bend It Like Beckham. He has also donned the hat of an administrator and has served as Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification, Film and Television Institute of India as well as of his alma mater, National School of Drama. In a candid conversation with Smita Prakash, Anupam Kher talks about his struggles and entry into Bollywood. He recalls how Saaransh's success in 1984 helped him to get a foothold in the film industry and established him as an actor. He also takes us on a journey of his filmography and shares his experiences working with different co-stars. The Khosla Ka Ghosla actor also spoke about his family, politics, fitness regime, critics and much more.

Jagadish Vasudev, founder of Isha Foundation who is better known as 'Sadhguru' by his millions of followers and fans across the world, is a multifaceted personality who has broken the stereotype of being a Yogi. Sadhguru dons many hats and is a Yoga-Guru, mystic, philanthropist, author as well as a podcaster. He has broken the myth that a yogi has to live in a cave meditating and he sings, dances, rides a bike, drives vehicles for causes which affect humanity, like ‘Save The Soil’. Sadhguru was also awarded India’s second highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan, in 2017 for his contribution to spirituality and humanitarian services. In an enlightening conversation with Smita Prakash, Sadhguru talks about his tryst with Yoga and spirituality and the incident which led to his spiritual awakening. Further, Sadhguru also talks about the controversies surrounding the Isha Foundation, concepts of enhancing our lives by awakening one’s inner intelligence and protecting the planet and much more.