“I thought of her as a breath of fresh air. Her predecessor from NDA-I, Murli Manohar Joshi, a professor of physics in Allahabad University and my contemporary, arguably was the worst HRD minister India has seen. But now I feel Smriti is giving even him tough competition.”
An anonymous vice chancellor quoted in a cover story on Union HRD minister Smriti Irani (Outlook, April 20)
“A society that does not provide universal healthcare and universal primary education is morally repugnant in this day and age. In the modern world, there is simply no excuse. Morality apart, no economy can post sustained rates of economic growth if it does not have a healthy, educated population.”
Kanti Bajpai, educationist and foreign affairs expert, on why the Narendra Modi government needs to focus on important issues such as health and education (Times of India, April 25)
“An unknown number were refugees from Syria, Eritrea and Somalia fleeing war or persecution. They perished in part because the EU’s policy on asylum is a moral and political failure.”
The Economist on the hundreds of refugees drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to cross into Europe on overloaded boats (April 25)
“Most Indian universities are rapidly degenerating into “municipality schools of higher education” while most private institutions charge high capitation fees to grant admission and degrees. De-emphasising thinking, creativity, research and innovation, this system encourages intellectual cowardice.”
Varun Gandhi, BJP Lok Sabha MP, on the rapidly obsolescing Indian higher education system (Deccan Chronicle, April 29)
“Doing business in India is insane. Ask any entrepreneur and they’ll tell you it’s like fighting a small war every day. And that’s just to manage things nothing to do with business...”
Anuvab Pal, author and playwright, in ‘Businessmen as Usual’ (The Economic Times, April 30)