MUMBAI: English news channel Times Now is gearing up for the special preview of the forthcoming episode of Lead India, an initiative of The Times of India to identify new leaders for a new India.

The previews will run on news bulletins all day on Friday and Saturday before the episode airs on Star One at 8 pm on 19 January. Excitement is at its peak this week with judges like the Bollywood star Anil Kapoor and Industrialist Shashi Ruia of Essar Group joining Dr Kiran Bedi, Javed Akhtar and Vikas Singh on Lead India.

In the forthcoming episodes, contestants will get a one-in-a-million opportunity to interact with the British High Commissioner Richard Stag who will present a brief insight into the political scene in UK and his view of the scene in India. Stag will also be awarding contestants a scholarship for a Masters Programme at the prestigious London School of Economics.

The contestants battle it out with each having to present their views on various current social topics ranging from SEZs and cast reservations for medical students to sting operations and death penalties for rape cases. For the first time ever, the show will have  an open discussion between the contestants and the audience which include renowned women’s welfare organisations, an NGO Swadesh Jagran Manch, management and medical institutes, minority welfare committees and political affiliation groups.