‘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.

‘States have to go like beggars to the Centre for everything. We have been reduced to glorified municipalities’

Sunday , 5 July '09

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was at the Chandigarh office of The Indian Express for an Idea Exchange.

‘In Parliament, the sound of democracy has prevailed over the reason of democracy. That has to change’

Sunday , 28 June '09

Pawan Kumar Bansal handles the portfolios of Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources in the UPA ...

‘The elections were a debacle for the Left. The people wanted to teach us a lesson’

Sunday , 14 June '09

CPI leader D. Raja was at the Express for an Idea Exchange. In this session moderated by Contributing Editor Coomi Kapoor, he speaks about the failed ‘Third Front’ experiment, Left’s poor showing in the general elections and the Mamata factor in West Bengal

‘In a democracy, dynasty is nasty, but it’s tasty to many people in this country’

Sunday , 7 June '09

In this Idea Exchange moderated by Senior Associate Editor Monojit Majumdar, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu speaks about the reasons for the BJP’s poor showing in the general election, dynasty politics and the youth factor