“Like in cricket, a batter focuses on the ball thrown to him ignoring shouts for fours and sixes from the crowd, students should also concentrate on their work. Do not be suppressed by pressures. Stay focused.” Prime minister Narendra Modi’s advice to students at his annual ‘thoughts on examination’ interactive session (January 27) “The President doesn’t contest elections, but it looks like the BJP government is conducting its next election campaign through her. The entire speech was an election speech trying to praise the government for everything it has done and skipping all those bits it has not done so well.” Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on President Draupadi Murmu’s speech to Parliament on the inauguration of the Budget session (The Tribune, January 31) “The issue is not just about protecting some ‘doles’ for the poor but on what our vision for Amrit Kaal is — it surely can’t be one where half the population has to struggle with access to education, health, nutrition and social security.” Dipa Sinha, professor of economics, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Delhi on the Union Budget 2023-24 short-changing the social sector again (The Hindu, February 2) “Only a slavish, colonial mentality can suggest that we turn our Indian institutions into second class ‘citizens’ by promising all kinds of autonomy — operational and academic — only to foreign universities. This is not the way to establish ‘Make in India’ institutions.” Anurag Mehra, professor of chemical engineering, IIT-Bombay on new UGC norms allowing foreign universities to set up campuses in India (NDTV, February 3) “Asked to assess his performance as prime minister, as many as 72 percent of the respondents rated it as outstanding to good…” Raj Chengappa, group editorial director, on the results of a recent poll assessing PM Narendra Modi’s popularity (India Today, February 6)
