Anjana Om Kashyap is a well-known Indian journalist and news presenter. She currently serves as a Managing Editor at the leading Hindi news channel, Aaj Tak. She is most famous for hosting the daily prime-time debate show Halla Bol, where she discusses current events and political topics.
Anjana began her career in the early 2000s. Before joining Aaj Tak, she worked with other major networks like Doordarshan, Zee News, and News 24. She is recognized for her strong and direct style of interviewing leaders and covering big events like national elections. While she is a popular face on television, she has also faced criticism from some viewers regarding her political stance during debates.
Anjana Om Kashyap Biography
| Full Name | Anjana Om Kashyap (born Anjana Om Tiwari) |
| Date of Birth | June 12, 1975 |
| Age (2025) | 50 years |
| Place of Birth | Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand), India |
| Husband | Mangesh Kashyap (IPS Officer, AGMUT Cadre; currently serving with Delhi Police) |
| Children | One son and one daughter (names kept private) |
| Current Position | Senior Executive Editor, Aaj Tak Recently elevated to lead editorial operations for Aaj Tak HD |
| Net Worth | ₹50 Crores (approx. $6 million) Estimate based on 2024-25 industry reports |
| Notable Achievements | • Best Anchor Award (ITA Awards, ENBA Awards) • National Television Award for Best Reporter • Host of flagship shows Halla Bol and Black & White • Interviewed multiple heads of state, including PM Narendra Modi |
| Controversies | • “Termites” Remark: Faced backlash for describing the reservation system as “termites” during a panel discussion. • Fake News Incident (2025): Apologized after erroneously reporting the death of actor Dharmendra. • Valmiki Community FIR: Faced legal complaints for alleged derogatory remarks made against Maharishi Valmiki during a broadcast. |
Early life and education
Anjana Om Kashyap was born on 12 June 1975 in Ranchi, then part of Bihar now in Jharkhand, into a middle-class family. Her father, Om Prakash Tiwari, was a doctor who served on short-service commission in the Indian Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971; he hailed from Arrah, Bihar. Her mother is from Bihar Sharif, Nalanda district. Kashyap belongs to the Bhumihar Brahmin community.
She completed her schooling at Loreto Convent, Ranchi, a Catholic institution, followed by Delhi Public School, Ranchi. Demonstrating early leadership, she served as head girl at both schools. Initially aspiring to a medical career like her father, Kashyap pursued an honours degree in Botany from Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi, but failed the All India Pre-Medical Test. She later earned a postgraduate diploma in journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia in the early 2000s and briefly studied social work at the Delhi School of Economics. While preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, she developed an interest in public issues through NGO work, including counselling victims of sexual violence.
Career
Kashyap’s professional journey began outside journalism. After graduation, she worked as a counsellor at Daewoo Motors for a year and as a legal counsellor at an NGO. Transitioning to media, she joined Doordarshan in 2003 as a news desk assistant on the investigative programme Aankhon Dekhi, occasionally reporting on field assignments. Within a year, she moved to Zee News in production roles, later anchoring special features after auditioning successfully.
In 2007, Kashyap joined News 24 as an anchor for the evening debate show Do Tuk, which gained popularity for its confrontational format. She departed in early 2012 for Star News, but the channel closed shortly after ; she then joined Aaj Tak later that year under editor Supriya Prasad.
Also Read: Personal Life, Career, Achievements – Tanya Mittal Biography
At Aaj Tak, Kashyap rose to managing editor (special projects) and senior executive editor, hosting flagship shows like Halla Bol (a daily prime-time debate) and election specials such as Dilli Ke Dil Mein Kya Hai and Raj Tilak. Her interviews, including with Narendra Modi ahead of the 2019 elections, have been noted for their structure but criticized for lacking probing questions. In 2025, she became the first Indian journalist to feature an AI avatar of herself anchoring live segments. Kashyap has also appeared in cameo roles in films such as Sultan (2016) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017).
Kashyap has expressed opposition to India’s reservation system for socially oppressed classes, describing it as “infested by termites” in a panel discussion, attributing her views to her upbringing and the Mandal Commission’s social impacts.
Controversies
Anjana Om Kashyap is a prominent Indian journalist and news anchor. She is a Managing Editor at the Hindi news channel Aaj Tak, where she is well-known for hosting the debate show Halla Bol and the analysis program Black and White. She started her journalism career in the early 2000s and has worked for channels like Doordarshan, Zee News, and News 24.
Recent Events (2025) In 2025, Anjana faced several legal and public challenges. In August, a Lucknow court ordered a police complaint against her for remarks made during a Black and White episode about India’s partition. In October, an FIR was filed against her and her channel’s chairman in Ludhiana after Dalit organizations alleged that her comments on a show disrespected the Valmiki community. On the digital front, she took legal action against deepfake videos impersonating her, winning a permanent injunction from the Delhi High Court to stop the misuse of her image.
Past Controversies Her reporting style has drawn criticism in the past. In 2019, she was criticized by the Indian Medical Association for entering a neonatal ICU in Bihar with cameras and questioning a doctor while he was treating patients. Other incidents include a 2012 on-air argument with politician Akhilesh Yadav, which reportedly led to a temporary ban on his party’s spokespersons on her channel, and criticism in 2021 regarding her reporting style during the Prime Minister’s visit to the US.
Also Read: Actress Reeva Rachh Biography
Personal life
Kashyap is married to Mangesh Kashyap, a police officer in the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service. They have a son and a daughter and live in New Delhi. Anjana Om Kashyap focuses her professional life on Hindi news journalism, dividing her time between hosting studio debates and reporting from the field. She is known for her quick speaking style and her skill in asking tough questions to political leaders. Anjana hosts the popular show Halla Bol on the Aaj Tak channel, where she discusses important national issues. Her long success as a senior editor and anchor serves as an inspiration for many young women and students entering the media industry.
Awards and recognition
- Kashyap has received several accolades for her journalism:
- National Television Award for Best Reporter (year unspecified)
- Indian Television Academy Award (ITA) for Best Anchor (2014)
- Exchange4Media News Broadcasting Award (ENBA) for Best Anchor (2015)
- Indian Merchants’ Welfare Association (IMWA) Award for Best Anchor (2015)
- India Today Excellence in Journalism Award (year unspecified)
- PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry Award for Excellence in Journalism (year unspecified)
