“The country is filled with self-confidence, foreign countries as well as foreign experts are optimistic about India. In the middle of all this, talk of pessimism, attempts to degrade India, lower the willpower of the people is taking place. It’s like the tradition of putting a kala tika to ward off evil.” Prime minister Narendra Modi speaking at the India Today Conclave (March 18) “India’s political system is veering towards a full-blown tyranny. The targeting of Opposition leaders leading to the farcical disqualification of Rahul Gandhi, the hounding of civil society and research organisations, censorship of information, the suppression of protest, are harbingers of a full-blown system of rule where all the interlocking parts add up to the one objective of tyrannical rule: To create pervasive fear.” Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta, public intellectual, on the BJP government’s targeting of opposition leaders (Indian Express, March 29) “The National Education Policy (NEP) has been made streamless and classless, with multiple entry and multiple exit being a special part of this education policy.” Amit Shah, Union home minister, speaking at the 113th convocation of Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar (March 31) “Why is this particular emphasis on Ivy League universities? If they come, it is alright, but there are several(other) excellent universities around the world.” Jagadesh Kumar M, Chairman, UGC on foreign universities setting up campuses in India (Indian Express, April 2) “A bloody war has killed fewer people than the pressure on India’s youth to succeed… In such a scenario the idea of scrapping JEE and similar entrance tests isn’t as drastic as it sounds.” Robin David comparing the number of student suicides (13,000) in India to the number of people (8,000) killed in the Ukraine war (Times of India, April 2)
