"Once this Act (Right to Education Act) is enforced, any child will have to be allowed into school and share the classroom with your child… another child could beat up your child, smoke on the campus, misbehave with a girl or a teacher, and the school will have to watch helplessly."
Experts from a circular issued by Bethany High School, Bangalore to parents informing them about the RTE Act, which mandates all private unaided schools to reserve 25 percent of class I capacity for underprivileged children from the neighbourhood (July 26)
"I am delighted in a way because the rains are causing difficulties for the Commonwealth Games. Basically, I will be very unhappy if the Games are successful because then they will start bringing Asian Games, Olympics and all others."
Former Union sports minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on the many controversies plaguing the forthcoming Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in Delhi in October (July 27)
"We have a large army of youth. But this demographic dividend can be encashed only if this large army is well prepared to handle posts, positions and workstations — in offices, on shop-floors and on sites across the nation and indeed the globe."
Harish Manwani, chairman Hindustan Unilever Ltd, in his address at the company’s annual general meeting on July 27
"Cities must be restored to being cycle and above all, pedestrian-friendly with emphasis on the poorer quarters rather than on the mindless and extravagantly wasteful beautification of Lutyens Delhi where pavements are repaired and replaced twice a year."
B.G. Verghese, well-known columnist on how to cope with the crippling urban snarls, fast spreading from metros to medium and small towns (Indian Express, July 28)
"A missionary approach and the involvement of farmers are neccessary to attain 10 percent growth rate in the agriculture sector. This is no dream. China attained 10 percent growth rate in the initial stages, prior to its focus on industrial development."
Dr. Mohan Dharia, president of Pune-based Vanarai Trust on how India can step up its agricultural growth rate (The Hindu, July 30)