“The expansion of public services and social support in India, such as it is, has little to do with any nostalgia for Nehruvian socialism. It is a natural development in a country with a modicum of democracy.”
Jean Dreze, well-known developmental economist, on criticism of social sector spending (The Hindu, July 8)
“If we are going to make a Rs.200 crore statue I think it should be one of a giant, sexy woman so men can stare at her instead of at us.”
Kalki Koechlin, actress, on the budgetary allocation for the construction of the Sardar Patel statue (twitter @Kalkikanmani, July 12)
“The challenge before us is two-fold — fill up vacant teaching positions, and attract the best talent. Boosting faculty standards is crucial for upgrading our higher education sector.”
President Pranab Mukherjee on the national scarcity of teachers (The Times of India, July 19)
“The present HRD minister, who unfortunately is unfamiliar with academia beyond school level, gives the impression that in this case she may be doing what she was perhaps appointed for: carrying out the programme of the old history-baiters of the BJP who now have a fresh innings.”
Romila Thapar, eminent historian, on the appointment of RSS’ Y. Sudershan Rao as director of Indian Council of Historical Research (India Today, July 21)
“I consider those girls as my sisters… and I’m going to speak up for them until they are released.”
Malala Yousafzai, women’s education activist, on meeting with parents of Nigerian schoolgirls who were kidnapped in April by the militant group Boko Haram (Time, July 28)
“Since they (communists) dreamt only about revolution, they didn’t focus on reform. But they have not brought about a revolution... and they do not reconcile with reform.”
Kancha Ilaiah of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad on the failure of communist parties in Indian politics (Deccan Chronicle, July 31)