ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

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.