‘The idea is to be inclusive. The upper and middle classes have many forms of identity but the poor often have none’

Sunday , 29 November '09

Nandan Nilekani, the man at the helm of one of the most mammoth exercises being undertaken in India, issuing unique identity numbers for all residents, was at the Express for an Idea Exchange. In this session moderated by Assistant Editor Mihir Sharma, Nilekani explains the project and the steps taken to ensure privacy....

‘Instead of my love life, I wish the book had been on my journey from a chaiwala to an actor’

Sunday , 22 November '09

In this Idea Exhange moderated by Chandigarh Resident Editor Vipin Pubby at the Express’s Chandigarh office, award-winning actor Om Puri speaks about the controversy over his biography, Unlikely Hero, his past relationships, and his rags-to-riches story....

‘I wrote because I lacked self-confidence. As a writer, you can pretend you are a worm’

Sunday , 15 November '09

Ved Mehta is the quintessential memoirist, the personal historian. Mehta, who was with The New Yorker for over 30 years and has written on a variety of subjects, was at the Express for an Idea Exchange. In this session moderated by Assistant Editor Charmy Harikrishnan, Mehta speaks about his books and what it was to be an Indian writer in the US in the 1970s....

‘You can’t reform individuals but you can reform the system. Even corrupt officials won’t deviate from the system’

Sunday , 8 November '09

In an Idea Exchange moderated by Special Correspondent Maneesh Chhibber, Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily talks about judicial reforms, pendency of cases, appointment of judges and politics in his home state....

‘People have never been able to associate themselves with any other leader as they did with Indira Gandhi’

Sunday , 1 November '09

In this Idea Exchange moderated by Senior Editor, Media, Archna Shukla, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni spoke about...

‘You have to allow institutions to build their brands. The moment you do it for them, it will not work’

Sunday , 25 October '09

Minister of Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal is one of the most active ministers of UPA-II. In this Idea Exchange moderated by Special Correspondent Anubhuti Vishnoi, Sibal discusses his roadmap for education....

‘We will build more roads in one year than the NDA built in five years’

Sunday , 4 October '09

In this Idea Exchange moderated by The Financial Express Resident Editor Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, Minister of Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath talks about land acquisition laws, the highways he wants to build, and revamping the NHAI

‘There are leads on Hafiz Saeed which amount to evidence. If these are confirmed by Pakistan, it is hard evidence

Sunday , 27 September '09

Home Minister P. Chidambaram was at the Express for an Idea Exchange. In this session moderated by Chief of Bureau Pranab Dhal Samanta, Chidambaram speaks of intelligence sharing after 26/11, reported intrusions on the India-China border and police reforms....

‘Who would listen to the minister of Minority Affairs if he wasn’t the minister of Corporate Affairs?’

Sunday , 20 September '09

Minister of State Salman Khurshid is in charge of two ministries, the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

‘I want to preside over the liquidation of my ministry’s power to grant approvals’

Sunday , 13 September '09

Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests, was at the Express for an Idea Exchange. In this session moderated by Assistant Editor Mihir Sharma, Ramesh speaks of India’s strategy for Copenhagen, the Navi Mumbai airport project and austerity in the Congress

‘Wada dope testing is good to keep sports clean’

Sunday , 6 September '09

Vijender Singh brought home India’s first ever medal in boxing when he won the bronze at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Now ranked World Number 1 in his weight category and awarded the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, Singh interacts with the staff of The Indian Express in an Idea Exchange session moderated by Chandigarh Resident Editor Vipin Pubby

‘Why can’t the BJP allow history to remain where it is?’

Sunday , 30 August '09

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is the government’s man for all crises and this time, he has his hands full. In this Idea Exchange moderated by Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief, The Indian Express, Mukherjee speaks of the economic situation, the drought and the crisis in the BJP...

‘Standards are uneven but we have very good doctors and procedures in India’

Sunday , 23 August '09

Eminent cardiologist Dr Naresh Trehan was at the Express for an Idea Exchange. In this session moderated by special correspondent Toufiq Rashid, Trehan speaks about his Medicity project, medical research in India and accountability among doctors...

‘I think private airlines grew too fast’

Sunday , 16 August '09

In his second stint as Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel has had to face several challenges—a slowdown in the sector, Air India’s bailout package and aggressive private airlines.

‘I don’t think we can have a climate agreement at Copenhagen. We have run out of time’

Sunday , 9 August '09

American economist, climate expert and development policy adviser Jeffrey Sachs was at the Express for an Idea Exchange. In this session moderated...

‘In America, India is popular for its soft power and not so much for being a nuclear nation’

Sunday , 2 August '09

Vishakha Desai is the first woman president of the prestigious Asia Society and the first of Asian origin. In this Idea Exchange moderated...

‘There is no harm in mentioning Balochistan because it is not an admission by India. There is nothing to admit’

Sunday , 26 July '09

Shashi Tharoor, former UN under secretary and now MoS in the Ministry of External Affairs, was at the Express for an Idea Exchange. In this session moderated by Associate Editor Mini Kapoor, Tharoor speaks about tweeting, his unsuccessful bid for the post of UN secretary general and Tharoor the novelist.....

‘People will welcome you with bouquets and flowers if you have the numbers. I don’t’

Sunday , 19 July '09

Lalu Prasad Yadav ruled Bihar for 15 years and had a good run as Railway Minister at the Centre. But things have changed since the last general elections. In this Idea Exchange moderated by Vandita Mishra, Senior Editor (Politics), he speaks about being out of power, ties with the Congress and Mamata Banerjee’s proposed White Paper on the Railways’ performance during his term....

‘The time for circumspection is over. We will be ready for the Games by March’

Sunday , 12 July '09

With only a year to go for the Commonwealth Games, Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi has a tough job on his hands.